Berkshire Hathaway is Warren Buffett’s investment conglomerate and a recurring member of the world’s highest-market-cap companies.
Berkshire Hathaway owns or invests in businesses across insurance, railroads, utilities, energy, manufacturing, retail, and consumer products. Warren Buffett has served as its chairman and chief executive since 1965, transforming a struggling textile manufacturer into a diversified holding company.
Its insurance operations, especially GEICO and reinsurance businesses, provide funds that Berkshire can invest. The company also holds large public-equity positions, although those holdings change over time. Berkshire owns BNSF Railway and Berkshire Hathaway Energy among its major operating businesses.
Berkshire has two main publicly traded share classes: Class A and Class B. Class A shares are famous for their extremely high price, while Class B shares were created to make ownership more accessible. Market capitalization combines both classes.