Warren Buffett, 96, officially stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway on 18 September 2026, with his son Howard Buffett assuming the role immediately, according to reporting by Marketwatch, CNBC, and the Guardian. The transition follows Buffett's earlier exit from the CEO position and completes a long-established succession plan. Buffett cited the passage of time in explaining the move and will remain at the company as chair emeritus and director. Howard Buffett has served as a Berkshire board member since 1993.
Berkshire Hathaway's Class A shares (BRK.A) and Class B shares (BRK.B) are directly affected by the leadership change, as both instruments represent ownership stakes in the conglomerate whose governance structure has now formally transitioned away from its founder after more than 50 years of his chairmanship.
The succession had been publicly signalled for years. Buffett's decision to retain a director and chair emeritus role indicates continued nominal involvement, while operational and board leadership passes to Howard Buffett under the framework Berkshire's board had previously outlined.
Sources: Marketwatch TOP, Cnbc TOP, Guardian Business