On December 31, 2025, Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares passed the CEO baton from Warren Buffett to Greg Abel, marking the end of a 60-year tenure that delivered cumulative gains exceeding 6 million percent. At the moment of transition, the company held approximately $358 billion in cash and short-term investments—its highest ever cash hoard—positioning the new CEO to deploy significant capital into acquisitions or equity stakes as market opportunities arise.

Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares currently represent a market capitalization just above $1 trillion, reflecting a near all-time high valuation driven by outsized returns over Buffett’s tenure. Since 1965, the shares have outperformed the S&P 500 by more than 130 times, and annualized total returns—including dividends—have nearly doubled the benchmark. The share-repurchase program implemented in 2018 has retired over 12 percent of outstanding Class A shares through nearly $78 billion in buybacks, lifting per-share intrinsic value.

Under Greg Abel, Berkshire’s investment approach is expected to retain its long-term, value-oriented ethos while expanding into sectors previously underweight under Buffett, including technology and healthcare. The existing portfolio—valued at roughly $316 billion—will continue to feature large, indefinite holdings but will see increased allocation to smaller, opportunistic stakes managed by Ted Weschler and Todd Combs. With global equities trading near historical valuation highs and a record cash reserve, the company faces a pivotal opportunity to redeploy capital in industries offering structural growth and to pursue new acquisitions in both core insurance operations and industrial businesses.