Warren Buffett is the Berkshire Hathaway chairman famous for leading the company alongside Charlie Munger for decades.
Buffett became chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 after acquiring control of the struggling textile manufacturer. Under his leadership, Berkshire evolved into a diversified holding company with insurance, railroads, utilities, manufacturing, retail, and large investment portfolios.
Charlie Munger served as Berkshire's vice chairman and Buffett's closest business partner until Munger's death in 2023. Their letters and shareholder meetings helped popularize value investing and long-term ownership of high-quality businesses.
Berkshire is unusual among very large companies because it has historically avoided paying a regular dividend and has maintained a high-priced Class A share. Buffett's disciplined capital allocation, insurance float, and long holding periods helped make Berkshire one of the world's most valuable public companies.