Warren Buffett, the legendary investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, took the stage at the company’s annual meeting to discuss the future of the conglomerate and pay tribute to his longtime business partner, Charlie Munger. Buffett outlined the expanded roles of the executives designated to succeed him, particularly Greg Abel, who is set to take over as chief executive.
During the meeting, Buffett praised Abel’s capabilities, stating, “When you’ve got somebody like Greg and Ajit Jain, why settle for me? It has worked out extremely well.” He also expressed confidence in Abel’s ability to handle capital allocation decisions, emphasizing his understanding of businesses and common stocks.
Abel, in turn, emphasized the importance of maintaining Berkshire’s capital allocation principles during the transition period. He highlighted the company’s focus on investing in equities as if they were investing in a business, regardless of the stake size.
Buffett also discussed Berkshire’s investment strategy, emphasizing a focus on American opportunities and increasing operating earnings while decreasing shares outstanding. He mentioned the company’s substantial cash and Treasury bill holdings, indicating a potential increase to $200 billion by the end of the quarter.
Overall, Buffett and Abel’s remarks at the annual meeting underscored Berkshire Hathaway’s commitment to maintaining its successful investment principles and focusing on American-oriented opportunities for future growth.