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Greg Abel Debuts as Berkshire CEO Amid 12% Share Drop

5/1/2026

44 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Greg Abel led Berkshire Hathaway’s Omaha meeting on Saturday, the first as chief executive.
Abel was born on June 1 1962.
He joined Berkshire in 2000.
He became CEO on January 1 2026.
Class B shares fell over 12% in 2025, buybacks resumed in March 2026, and the firm entered the year with $373 billion cash, a 1.4 price-to-book ratio and a $139 billion market-value loss.

History

Historical Context

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroads merged in September 1995 to create BNSF, uniting coal and intermodal networks. Berkshire Hathaway completed its purchase of the railroad in February 2010, a transaction valued at $44 billion, making BNSF its largest subsidiary. In 2026, Warren Buffett’s hand-picked successor Greg Abel will assume the CEO role, continuing the firm’s long-term leadership plan.

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Story summary

Greg Abel led Berkshire Hathaway’s Omaha meeting on Saturday, the first as chief executive.
Abel was born on June 1 1962.
He joined Berkshire in 2000.
He became CEO on January 1 2026.
Class B shares fell over 12% in 2025, buybacks resumed in March 2026, and the firm entered the year with $373 billion cash, a 1.4 price-to-book ratio and a $139 billion market-value loss.

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