Who is Greg Abel, heir to the throne of the best investor in history

Warren Buffett, 94 years old and from the fifth of Clint Eastwood, will no longer be Berkshire Hathaway CEO at the end of 2025, but will continue as president of the Council.

The 1.1 billion conglomerate control will go to Greg Abel, a 62 -year -old Canadian discreet which directs non-assurance operations since 2018.

Why is it important. The change marks the end of an era. Under buffett since 1965, Berkshire has achieved A yield of 5,502,284%surpassing the S&P 500 in 140 times. The shares fell 5% after the announcement, suggesting doubts about the future without buffett to the daily rudder.

Between bambalins. Buffet made the surprise announcement in the final minutes of the shareholders meeting in OMAHA, culminating a plan designed for decades. Abel, who arrived in Berkshire in 2000 with the purchase of Midamerican Energy, has been meticulously prepared for the position.

In figures. Abel will inherit:

Turning point. Unlike Buffett, famous for his brilliant investments, Abel stands out for his operational capacity. “It’s better than me, but don’t tell anyone,” Buffett joked in 2023.

Abel’s biggest challenge will be to deploy Berkshire’s huge cash, something for Buffett has had difficulties in recent times.

The contrast. Abel brings a different style. Where buffet is charismatic, Abel is reserved and pragmatic. It is less tolerant with low performance.

Your experience is to manage business, not to select actions, a task that will continue in the hands of Todd combs and Ted Weschler.

Missing? The transition includes several steps:

1. Separate the roles of President and CEO for the first time.
2. Maintain investment management under combs and weschler.
3. Insurance under the command of Ajit Jain.
4. Howard Buffett as the future president after Warren’s death.
5. Gradual dissolution of Buffett’s class A actions for a decade.

The big question. Will the Berkshire model survive without its creator? Many believe that Buffett’s genius was to create a system designed to endure. “Greg will keep the culture”, said Charlie Muger in 2021.

It was a way of dropping that Abel will preserve the values ​​of permanence, autonomy and integrity that have marked the unicorn of investment firms.

The background. Buffett leaves when Berkshire is at its peak, but when the investments he prefers – foreseeable companies with stable cash flows at reasonable prices – they are scarce. In fact, it has closed positions lately Even in an all Apple.

The buffet indicator, which compares the market value with GDP, exceeds 180%, well above the 100% that Buffett considers excessive.

In any case, Abel does not need to be another buffet. His mission will be to guide Berkshire towards his next phase, maintaining his principles while adapting his strategy to a world very different from that of 1965.

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