Warren Buffett is stepping down as Berkshire Hathaway CEO. Here are the highlights of his extraordinary career

Tatler Asia

07-05-2025

Buffett began his college education at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1947, later transferring to the University of Nebraska to complete his degree in business administration. In 1951, he earned his master's in economics at Columbia Business School, where he studied under Benjamin Graham, the economist widely regarded as the father of value investing.
Buffett would later call Graham his greatest mentor. After graduation, he worked at Graham's investment partnership, where he also met future investing legend Walter Schloss and GEICO executive Lorimer Davidson—two figures who would influence Buffett's eventual acquisition of the insurance company.
By the time Warren Buffett left Graham's firm at age 25, he had already saved around US$9,800—equivalent to over US$130,000 today. The rise of Berkshire Hathaway
In 1956, Warren Buffett launched his own investment firm, Buffett Associates, Ltd., and began forming a series of profitable partnerships. By 1962, he had become a millionaire and started buying shares in a struggling textile company called Berkshire Hathaway. By 1970, Buffett had taken control of the company and pivoted it into a holding company that would become one of the largest and most admired conglomerates in the world.
Buffett used Berkshire's profits to buy insurance companies like GEICO and National Indemnity, and eventually expanded the portfolio to include railroads, utilities, and consumer brands. His approach—buying undervalued companies with strong fundamentals and holding them for decades—cemented his reputation as a visionary investor. Best bets: The companies that made Buffett a legend
Above President Barack Obama meets with Warren Buffett, the Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway in the Oval Office, July 18, 2011. (Photo: Pete Souza, Official White House photo)
Buffett's investments became the stuff of legend. He bought stock in The Walt Disney Company in 1964 for US$4 million and sold it a few years later for US$6 million—a tidy 50 per cent return. That same year, he took a position in American Express, which would become one of Berkshire's most valuable long-term holdings.
Other high-profile investments included Coca-Cola, Apple, Bank of America, Visa, Mastercard, T-Mobile, BYD and Mitsubishi Corporation. His rare but memorable stake in Amazon was seen as a departure from his usual value-oriented strategy, but it paid off.
Today, Berkshire Hathaway owns more than 70 companies outright and holds substantial equity positions in dozens more. Its current market capitalisation exceeds US$1.1 trillion. Among the brands Berkshire fully owns are Dairy Queen, See's Candies, Fruit of the Loom, Duracell and BNSF Railway. The Giving Pledge
Above Warren Buffett and Bill Gates at the Sunday games at Borsheims during the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway shareholders weekend (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Borsheims Jewelry)
Despite being named the world's richest person in 2008 (temporarily overtaking Bill Gates), Buffett is known for his modest lifestyle. He still lives in the five-bedroom Omaha home he purchased in 1958.
And yet Buffett is also one of the world's most prominent philanthropists. In 2010, Buffett co-founded The Giving Pledge with Bill and Melinda Gates—a commitment by billionaires to give away the majority of their wealth. By 2022, Buffett had already donated over US$36 billion, with plans to give away 99 per cent of his fortune either during his lifetime or upon his death.
Don't miss: OpenAI founder Sam Altman joins The Giving Pledge, committing to donate at least US$1 billion to charitable causes The next chapter: Greg Abel steps in
As Buffett prepares to step down, the spotlight shifts to his successor: Greg Abel, the 62-year-old vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. Known for his no-nonsense leadership style, Abel has been instrumental in managing the non-insurance side of Berkshire's vast operations and has long been groomed for the top role.
Buffett himself has praised Abel repeatedly over the years, and the board's succession plan reflects a commitment to continuity—ensuring that the company's culture and principles remain intact as it enters a new era.