Berkshire Hathaway is the investment conglomerate led for decades by Warren Buffett and ranked among the world’s largest companies by market capitalization.
Berkshire Hathaway grew from a struggling textile manufacturer into a diversified holding company under Buffett and longtime partner Charlie Munger. Its businesses include insurance, rail transportation, utilities, energy, manufacturing, retail, and investments in publicly traded companies.
Insurance is central to Berkshire’s structure because premiums provide investable funds known as “float.” The company’s large equity portfolio has also made it a major participant in the market-cap landscape, with holdings changing over time.
Berkshire’s Class A shares are famous for their unusually high per-share price, but share price alone does not determine market capitalization. Investors must consider all outstanding share classes and the company’s total equity value.