Berkshire Hathaway is the U.S. business in the S&P 500 whose publicly traded Class A shares carry more than 100 times the voting power of Class B shares.
Berkshire Hathaway's Class A shares have one vote per share, while each Class B share has one ten-thousandth of a vote. This means one Class A share carries 10,000 times the voting power of one Class B share, although the Class B shares represent a much smaller economic interest per share.
The unusual structure reflects Berkshire's history and the company's desire to make its stock more accessible without giving up the long-standing ownership arrangement. Class B shares were created in 1996 and were later used in the acquisition of Burlington Northern Santa Fe.
Berkshire is an investment and operating company led for decades by Warren Buffett. Its large equity portfolio, insurance businesses, and operating subsidiaries have made it one of the world's most valuable public companies.