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- 1962: Warren Buffett begins buying Berkshire Hathaway shares at $7.50 each
- 1965: Buffett gains control of Berkshire Hathaway, removes president Seabury Stanton
- 1967: Company issues its only dividend (10 cents per share) & purchases National Indemnity insurance for $8.6M,
- 1973: Invests in Washington Post Company, entering the media sector
- 1976: Makes initial $4M investment in GEICO
- 1983: Acquires Nebraska Furniture Mart for $60M
- 1988: Purchases 7% stake in Coca-Cola for ~$1.02B
- 1996: Completes full acquisition of GEICO
- 1998: Merges with General Re & purchases Executive Jet (later NetJets)
- 2010: Executes largest acquisition to date: Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad for $44B
- 2013: Partners with 3G Capital to acquire H.J. Heinz for $28B
- 2016: Buys Precision Castparts for $37B
- 2020: Invests $10B in Dominion Energy’s natural gas assets
- 2021: Class A shares reach $415,000 & Greg Abel confirmed as future CEO
- 2026: Greg Abel becomes CEO on January 1; Buffett stays on as chairman
WARREN BUFFETT TAKEOVER
In 1962, Warren Buffett began purchasing Berkshire Hathaway shares, then trading at $7.50 per share.
At this point, the company operated textile mills in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
They were struggling against cheaper foreign imports.
Through the steady accumulation of shares, Buffett gained a controlling interest in Berkshire Hathaway in 1965.
He fired then-president Seabury Stanton over a price dispute, marking his first and later-regretted hostile takeover.
Buffett continued the textile operations despite their declining prospects.
EARLY EXPANSION OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY
In 1967, Berkshire Hathaway issued a 10-cent dividend.
Warren Buffett later calls this his only dividend declaration, preferring to reinvest profits into new businesses.
That same year, he expanded beyond textiles by acquiring National Indemnity insurance company for $8.6 million—shifting into insurance for the first time.
He later buys National Fire and Marine Insurance as well.
GEICO & WASHINGTON POST
Buffet decided to expand into media in 1973 through a calculated investment in the Washington Post Company, forming a partnership.
This move would prove instrumental to Berkshire’s diversification strategy.
Three years later, Berkshire initiated its involvement with GEICO through a $4 million investment; twenty years later, it would have full ownership in 1996.
NEBRASKA FURNITURE MART
In 1983, the company purchased Nebraska Furniture Mart for $60 million, adding retail operations to its portfolio.
Coca-Cola
Five years later, Buffett made one of its most renowned investments, acquiring a 7% stake in Coca-Cola for about $1.02 billion.
GENERAL RE & EXECUTIVE JET
By 1998, Berkshire Hathaway had made two huge acquisitions.
The merger with General Re doubled Berkshire’s insurance capacity, while the purchase of Executive Jet (later renamed NetJets) established the company’s presence in private aviation services.
These purchases helped position Berkshire Hathaway as a diverse holding company, far removed from its textile-manufacturing origins.
BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA FE RAILROAD
In 2010, Warren Buffett executed his largest-ever purchase by acquiring Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.
This $44 billion investment secured Berkshire’s position in America’s rail transport infrastructure.
HEINZ
Berkshire partnered with 3G Capital to acquire H.J. Heinz Company for $28 billion in 2013.
PRECISION CASTPARTS
The 2016 purchase of Precision Castparts for $37 billion strengthened Berkshire’s industrial manufacturing portfolio, specifically in aerospace components and industrial power generation.
DOMINION ENERGY
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Berkshire made a strategic $10 billion investment in Dominion Energy’s natural gas transmission assets, expanding its energy infrastructure holdings.
$415,000
By 2021, Berkshire’s Class A shares reached $415,000—it was proof of Buffett’s investment philosophy delivering returns exceeding 620% over two decades.
GREG ABEL
Greg Abel became Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO on January 1, 2026, ending Warren Buffett’s six-decade run at the top.
Buffett announced the handoff at the May 2025 annual shareholders meeting, and the board voted unanimously the next day. The company had confirmed Abel as successor back in 2021.
Abel’s connection to Berkshire began in 1999 when the company acquired MidAmerican Energy, where he served as a key executive.
Before taking over as CEO, he oversaw all non-insurance operations as vice chairman, managing businesses that range from railroads to retail chains. Buffett, for his part, remains chairman of the board.
WHO IS BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY’S CEO NOW?
Greg Abel is Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO, a role he assumed on January 1, 2026—roughly seven months in as of July 2026. He succeeded Warren Buffett, who ran Berkshire for six decades after taking control in 1965 and remains chairman of the board.
