Berkshire Hathaway was the first publicly traded non-technology U.S. company to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization.
The milestone occurred in August 2024, making Berkshire the first U.S. company outside the technology sector to attain that valuation. Its businesses include insurance, rail transportation, utilities, energy, manufacturing, and consumer products.
Berkshire’s structure differs from that of a typical single-industry corporation. The company owns large operating subsidiaries, while its insurance operations provide investment capital and its publicly traded equity portfolio adds another major source of value.
Warren Buffett led Berkshire’s transformation from a struggling textile manufacturer into a diversified conglomerate. Berkshire’s Class A shares are famously expensive because the company has never split them, although Class B shares provide a lower-priced alternative.