Berkshire Hathaway was the first non-technology US company to reach a US$1 trillion market capitalization in August 2024.
Berkshire Hathaway crossed the US$1 trillion level on August 28, 2024, during trading. The company is an insurance and investment conglomerate whose businesses include GEICO, BNSF Railway, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, manufacturing, retail, and large equity investments.
Warren Buffett transformed Berkshire from a struggling textile manufacturer into a diversified holding company. He became chairman and chief executive in 1965, and the company’s long-term investment approach became central to its identity. Berkshire’s Class A shares are among the highest-priced publicly traded shares because the company has never split them.
The “non-technology” description distinguishes Berkshire from earlier US trillion-dollar companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Nvidia. Berkshire’s milestone was based on market value, not the total value of the companies it owns.