Berkshire Names Howard Buffett Chairman as Warren Buffett Becomes Chairman Emeritus

Berkshire Hathaway has elected Howard G. Buffett chairman of the board, while Warren E. Buffett has become chairman emeritus effective immediately and will remain a director. The change completes another major step in Berkshire’s succession plan without altering the company’s chief executive role: Greg Abel remains CEO.

Warren Buffett had already handed executive leadership to Abel at the start of 2026 after Berkshire’s board unanimously selected him the previous year. Buffett stayed on as chairman during that first phase of the transition. Friday’s decision now places the board chair with Howard Buffett, Warren’s son and a Berkshire director since 1993, while keeping Warren on the board.

In its September 18 announcement, Berkshire said the chairman emeritus designation recognizes Warren Buffett’s contributions and that he will continue to offer his judgment and perspective as a director. The company described Howard Buffett’s election as consistent with its long-standing succession plan. Susan L. Decker will continue as Lead Independent Director.

Berkshire’s CEO and chairman roles are now fully separated

The latest change is a board leadership move rather than a transfer of operating control. Abel became Berkshire’s president and CEO on January 1, 2026, succeeding Warren Buffett as chief executive after a transition first announced at the company’s 2025 annual meeting. Berkshire amended its bylaws in September 2025 in preparation for a structure in which the chairman and CEO would no longer be the same person.

That separation had already become part of Berkshire’s formal operating structure before Howard Buffett’s appointment. The company’s 2025 annual report, filed in February 2026, said major capital allocation and investment decisions are the responsibility of Abel. Ajit Jain continues to oversee insurance operations, while other senior leaders report within the organization established under Abel.

Friday’s announcement does not assign Howard Buffett an executive management portfolio. Warren Buffett made the distinction explicit in his accompanying letter to shareholders, writing that “Greg runs the company; Howard will guard its culture and values.” The wording places the new chairman’s role on the governance side of Berkshire rather than in day-to-day management or capital allocation.

Decker’s continued position as Lead Independent Director adds another layer to that structure. Berkshire’s 2026 proxy statement said the board discusses succession planning extensively at each board meeting and identified Decker as the lead independent director. Howard Buffett, as Warren Buffett’s son, was not among the directors the governance committee classified as independent.

Howard Buffett’s selection follows decades of succession planning

Howard Buffett, 71 at the time of Berkshire’s 2026 proxy statement, has served on the company’s board since 1993. Since 1999, he has been chairman and CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, whose work focuses on humanitarian and conservation issues. Berkshire’s announcement also cited his experience on public and private company boards, including roles at Archer Daniels Midland, ConAgra Foods, Coca-Cola and Lindsay.

His connection to Berkshire’s succession planning reaches back to the year he joined the board. In Warren Buffett’s 1993 shareholder letter, Buffett wrote that Howard had been added to the board as Berkshire prepared for a future governance structure in which family members would represent a large ownership interest without managing the company.

The plan became more explicit in later governance disclosures. Berkshire’s March 2026 proxy said Warren Buffett believed that, after his death, it would be prudent for a member of the Buffett family to serve as non-executive chairman because the family would remain a substantial Berkshire shareholder. The proxy also stressed that the choice would ultimately belong to the board at that time.

The board has now moved that element of the succession framework forward while Warren Buffett remains a director. Berkshire did not characterize Howard Buffett as Warren’s management successor. Instead, the company has kept the roles distinct: Abel runs Berkshire as CEO, while Howard Buffett chairs the board. That distinction is central to understanding the change because Berkshire’s succession planning has long separated operating leadership from the family’s expected governance role.

Warren Buffett remains on Berkshire’s board

Warren Buffett’s move to chairman emeritus closes an unusually long tenure as Berkshire’s board chairman but does not end his formal involvement with the company. Berkshire’s 2026 proxy said he had been a director and controlling shareholder since 1965, chairman since 1970 and CEO from 1970 through the end of 2025.

The chairman emeritus title is accompanied by continued board membership rather than a departure. Berkshire’s announcement says Buffett will remain a director and continue to provide judgment and perspective. It does not give him a new executive office or describe any change to Abel’s authority as chief executive.

Buffett’s shareholder letter framed the shift as the completion of the leadership transition that began with Abel’s elevation to CEO. He wrote that Abel had taken hold of the chief executive job and that the timing was right to finish the transition. Howard Buffett’s task, in Buffett’s description, is centered on protecting Berkshire’s culture and values rather than running its businesses.

The resulting leadership structure divides responsibilities that Warren Buffett held together for decades. Abel remains responsible for Berkshire’s executive leadership, Howard Buffett chairs the board, Decker continues as Lead Independent Director, and Warren Buffett stays involved as chairman emeritus and a director. Berkshire announced no change to Abel’s CEO role and no departure by Warren Buffett from the board.