Warren Buffett Steps Down as Berkshire CEO

Warren Buffett, the legendary investor known as the Oracle of Omaha, stepped down as chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of 2025, capping a six-decade tenure that transformed the company from a struggling textile firm into a $1.2 trillion conglomerate. Under his leadership, Berkshire delivered compounded returns exceeding 5,500,000 percent from 1964 to 2024, building a stock portfolio valued at $263 billion and elevating Buffett's net worth to an estimated $152 billion, ranking him among the world's 10 richest individuals.

Buffett's departure, which handed the CEO role to successor Greg Abel, came after years of deliberate portfolio evolution. Berkshire's equity holdings emphasized durable businesses with strong financials, including long-standing stakes in consumer brands and financial institutions like American Express, which accounted for about 15 percent of the portfolio, valued at more than $45 billion as of late 2025. The company reported record annual revenue of $72.2 billion that year, driven by high-fee credit cards and perks that attracted affluent customers, generating $10 billion in net card fees. However, American Express's role as a direct lender...