Warren Buffett concluded his tenure as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of 2025 after more than 60 years leading the conglomerate. Throughout his entire time as CEO, Buffett maintained a base salary of $100,000 per year, refusing any raises since 1986. In 2024, Berkshire Hathaway also covered $305,111 in personal and home security expenses for Buffett, but he elected to reimburse the company each year for personal postage and delivery fees. The long-standing compensation policy was codified in a committee mandate dating back to 2004, which explicitly prohibited consideration of Berkshire’s profitability or market value when setting executive pay.

Greg Abel, who served as Vice Chairman overseeing energy and non-insurance operations, officially became CEO on January 1, 2026. According to a recent regulatory filing, Abel will receive a base salary of $25 million—250 times more than Buffett’s annual pay as CEO. In 2024, Abel earned $21 million in total compensation for his Vice Chairman role. The filing also discloses Abel’s ownership of 228 Class A and 2,363 Class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway. As he steps into the chief executive role, investors will be watching how his leadership and significantly higher compensation align with Berkshire’s long-term performance.