Warren Buffett Steps Down as Berkshire Hathaway Chairman; Son Howard Buffett Takes Over
Warren Buffett, aged 96, stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway on 18 September 2026 and became chairman emeritus, staying on the board as a director. His eldest son Howard Buffett, 71, was elected chairman; Howard has been a Berkshire director since 1993. Warren Buffett had chaired the US conglomerate, which spans insurance, rail, energy, manufacturing, retail and finance, since 1970, building it to a valuation of about USD 1 trillion. He announced in May 2025 that he would give up the chief executive's job, and Greg Abel took over as CEO at the start of 2026 and continues to run day-to-day operations.
Berkshire Hathaway is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States | Warren Buffett is known as the 'Oracle of Omaha' and is associated with value investing | Chairman emeritus is an honorary title for a retired chairman who retains a formal link with the company