Howard Buffett is now chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, succeeding his father, Warren Buffett, who has become chairman emeritus and will remain on the board. The transition took effect on September 18, with Greg Abel continuing as chief executive.
The arrangement separates the company’s operating authority from its cultural guardianship. Warren Buffett wrote that Greg Abel runs Berkshire, while Howard Buffett will guard the principles that have shaped the group. Howard’s role is non-executive: it is a board-level responsibility, not a return to day-to-day management.
A planned handover reaches its visible point
TheStreet’s report describes the change as the completion of a succession framework that Berkshire had prepared for years. Buffett said “Father Time always wins” and that he would continue advising on major decisions. The report also notes that Buffett took control of Berkshire in 1965, when it was still a declining New England textile operation.
EL PAÍS places Howard’s appointment in the context of a 33-year apprenticeship as a Berkshire director. He arrives with a life shaped by farming, philanthropy and service on corporate boards, rather than by a conventional operating-career ladder inside the conglomerate.
The forward question is deliberately narrow. Abel retains responsibility for capital allocation, acquisitions and day-to-day management; Howard’s remit is to protect the culture and values that shareholders associate with Berkshire. In a company built around long-term judgment, the chairmanship is being used as an additional layer of continuity rather than as a second operating center.
