Warren Buffett, 96, will step down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and become chairman emeritus, with his son Howard Buffett succeeding him, according to a letter to shareholders dated Sept. 18. Buffett will remain on the board. He wrote that Greg Abel, who has been making the company’s key decisions, “runs the company,” while Howard, a director for 33 years, will “guard its culture and values.” Buffett added that he has “never felt better about what comes next.”
Full text of the letter:
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC.
To My Fellow Shareholders:
Berkshire has an extraordinary group of shareholders. From the beginning, Charlie and I looked for owners who thought in decades rather than quarters, and we were fortunate to find a great many of you.
Recently, I celebrated my 96th birthday with family and friends, including one of my great-grandchildren, who had just turned one. He’s moving a bit faster than I am these days.
I have served Berkshire since 1965. Sixty-plus years in, I still have the best job in the world. That is not something many people my age can say, and I have never felt better about what comes next.
Part of the reason is Greg. My expectations for him were sky high from the start, and he has exceeded them. He has taken hold of the Chief Executive Officer job in every respect. He has been making the decisions that matter for some time now, and I have not had to think twice about any of them.
So the timing is right to complete the transition. I will become Chairman Emeritus and remain a Director. My son, Howard, will succeed me as Chairman.
Howard has been a Berkshire Director for 33 years. That is a longer apprenticeship than I served before taking the reins at the age of 34. Greg runs the company; Howard will guard its culture and values – both worth more than anything on our balance sheet. Think of Howard as a policy the shareholders own and hope never to claim against.
Howard cares deeply about Berkshire, as do all of our Directors. No company has been or will be more shareholder-minded than Berkshire.
Serving as your Chairman has been the privilege of a lifetime, and I have never taken your trust for granted. Father Time always wins. He has, however, been generous with me. He has given me the opportunity to see Berkshire reach a point where I am more confident than ever about what lies ahead. The company is in excellent hands, and I look forward to remaining a shareholder alongside you.
September 18, 2026
Warren E. Buffett
