Veteran investor Warren Buffett stepped down as Berkshire Hathaway Chairman on Friday, September 18, ending nearly six decades of leading the conglomerate.
Known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” the 96 year old billionaire is set to become Chairman Emeritus of the company, with immediate effect, while continuing to serve on the board, according to a statement released today. His son, Howard Buffet, a director of the company since 1993 takes over as the Chairman.
From taking charge of Berkshire Hathaway to key investments, here's a look at the major milestones of Warren Buffett's tenure as the Chairman of the conglomerate—
1965: Buffet acquired a majority share of Berkshire Hathway, then a struggling textile manufacturer in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
1969-1970: Warren Buffett dissolved his investment partnership and officially became chairman of Berkshire Hathaway.
1972-1974: Berkshire acquired See's Candies and Wesco Financial through the Blue Chip Stamps framework.
1976: Berkshire began building its major stake in American auto insurance provider GEICO, which was fully acquired two decades later.
1978: Charlie Munger officially became vice chairman after Berkshire merged with Diversified Retailing.
1985: The company formally closed core textile business, shifting to insurance and investments.
1988: Berkshire invested Coca-Cola, an investment that continues to be one of its largest holdings to date.
1996: The conglomerate issued Class B shares with the aim to make ownership more accessible to individual investors.
2010: Berkshire completed its largest-ever acquisition at the time by buying railroad giant BNSF. Buffet also launched The Giving Pledge with Bill and Melinda Gates.
2016: Buffett started buying Apple shares, indicating a major shift into large-scale technology investments.
2025–2026: Greg Abel took over as CEO at the start of 2025, while Warren Buffett stepped down as chairman in September 2026.
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