Berkshire Hathaway became the first U.S. business founded in the 19th century to exceed a $1 trillion market capitalization.
Berkshire Hathaway passed the $1 trillion threshold in August 2024. The company traces its corporate history to textile businesses founded in the 19th century, although its modern identity was built through Warren Buffett’s investment partnership and the acquisition of Berkshire Hathaway in the 1960s.
Berkshire owns a broad collection of businesses, including GEICO, BNSF Railway, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and a large portfolio of publicly traded stocks. This diversified structure differs from the concentrated technology businesses that commonly dominate modern market-cap rankings.
Berkshire’s share classes are an important detail. Class A shares have an exceptionally high per-share price, while Class B shares were created to make ownership more accessible. Market capitalization counts both classes together, so the company’s total value cannot be inferred from the price of only one share class.