Berkshire Hathaway became the first U.S. corporation to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization without being primarily a technology company.
Berkshire Hathaway crossed $1 trillion in market value in August 2024. Its businesses span insurance, railroads, utilities, manufacturing, retail, and large investments in publicly traded companies, making it different from technology companies that dominated earlier trillion-dollar milestones.
Warren Buffett has led Berkshire since 1965, building it from a struggling textile manufacturer into a diversified holding company. Charlie Munger served as Buffett’s longtime business partner and vice chairman until his death in 2023.
Berkshire has two major classes of publicly traded shares, known as Class A and Class B. Class A shares are famously expensive because they have never been split, while Class B shares provide a lower-priced way to own an economic interest in the company.