Warren Buffett turns 96 after year of CEO exit, Alphabet bet, faster giving

Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, celebrated his 96th birthday on August 30, 2026, marking a year of significant personal and professional transitions. The past twelve months have seen Buffett step down as CEO of the conglomerate he built, accelerate his philanthropic giving, and make a major new investment bet on Alphabet.

Buffett retired as Berkshire Hathaway's chief executive at the end of December 2025 after more than six decades in the role. He remains chairman of the board and continues to be actively involved in investment decisions from the company's Omaha headquarters. His successor, Greg Abel, now has the final say on acquisitions and capital deployment. Despite the change in title, Buffett told CNBC in March that his daily routine has not changed much; he still commutes to the office five days a week to pick stocks and field calls about potential deals.

The year also featured a major new investment. Berkshire built a stake in Alphabet, Google's parent company, from scratch to nearly $38 billion by the end of June, making it the third-largest position in its stock portfolio after Apple and American Express. This move was...