 |
Warren Buffett, Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. (Photo: Yonhap News) |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) shares fell 1.4% on January 2, the first trading day after Warren Buffett (95) stepped down as CEO. While Buffett expressed confidence that Berkshire will endure “100 years from now,” short-term investor uncertainty over his departure was reflected in the stock.
According to CNBC on January 2 (U.S. time), Buffett officially handed over the CEO role to his successor Greg Abel, affirming that the company is positioned to outperform virtually any other firm in the long term.
In a partially released interview, Buffett said,
"I believe this company has a higher probability of surviving 100 years than any other company I can think of."
He added, "Greg will be the decision-maker. What he accomplishes in a week may well exceed what I could do in a month." Buffett also expressed personal confidence in his successor, stating, "I would rather have Greg manage my money than the best investment advisors or CEOs in the U.S."
The so-called “Oracle of Omaha” officially passed the CEO role to Vice Chairman Abel on January 1. Buffett retains his position as Chairman of the Board.
On Abel’s first day as CEO, the S&P 500 rose 0.2%, while Berkshire shares declined 1.4% from the previous close.
Buffett had surprised investors at the May 2025 annual shareholder meeting by announcing his plan to retire by the end of the year.
Known for his value investing philosophy, Buffett acquired the declining textile firm Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 and transformed it into a diversified holding company centered on insurance. Since 1965, Berkshire shares have delivered an estimated 6.1 million percent cumulative return over six decades.
As of September 30, 2025, Berkshire held $381.7 billion in cash and cash equivalents and $283.2 billion in stock assets. Buffett’s personal net worth is approximately $150 billion, ranking him 10th globally on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and he has pledged a significant portion of his wealth to philanthropy.
알파경제 Paul Lee 특파원(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
