Berkshire Hathaway is the investment company led for decades by Warren Buffett that owns businesses including GEICO and BNSF Railway.
Berkshire Hathaway began as a textile manufacturer formed through the 1955 merger of Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates and Hathaway Manufacturing. Warren Buffett acquired shares in the struggling textile company during the 1960s and eventually redirected it toward insurance and investments.
The company now owns operating businesses across insurance, rail transportation, utilities, energy, manufacturing, retail, and services. GEICO is a major auto insurer, while BNSF Railway is one of North America’s largest freight railroad systems.
Berkshire’s market value is unusual among technology-heavy leaders because much of its business consists of established operating companies and investments. Buffett has served as its chief executive for decades, with Charlie Munger as a longtime partner until Munger’s death in 2023.