Berkshire Hathaway was the first publicly traded U.S. company founded in the 19th century to exceed a $1 trillion market value.
Berkshire Hathaway crossed a $1 trillion market capitalization in August 2024. The company traces its corporate history to 1839, when the Valley Falls Company was founded in Rhode Island, although Warren Buffett’s investment partnership later transformed the struggling textile business into a diversified holding company.
Berkshire owns operating businesses including GEICO, BNSF Railway, and Berkshire Hathaway Energy, while also holding large portfolios of publicly traded stocks. Warren Buffett has led the company since 1965.
The milestone was notable because Berkshire was not primarily a software, semiconductor, or internet company. Its value came from decades of retained earnings, acquisitions, insurance operations, and investments. The market-cap figure still changes daily with Berkshire’s share prices.