Howard Buffett to take charge as Berkshire Hathaway chairman: Who is he?

Berkshire Hathaway is entering a closely watched new chapter, with Howard Buffett set to become chairman of the $1.1 trillion conglomerate, succeeding his father Warren Buffett, who will become chairman emeritus, according to Reuters.

The transition comes nine months after Warren Buffett handed over the CEO role to longtime Berkshire executive Greg Abel. Howard's appointment continues a succession plan that has been in place for years, with his role focused on preserving the company's culture rather than running its day-to-day operations.

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Howard Buffett, 71, has spent more than three decades on Berkshire's board and has been identified as a potential successor to his father as chairman since 2011, when Warren Buffett told CBS News he would like Howard to take the position.

A long association with Berkshire

Known as Howie, Howard is Warren Buffett's second-born child and the eldest of his two sons. He has served as a Berkshire director for 33 years, giving him a longer tenure on the board than his father had before becoming the company's leader, according to Reuters.

His new position will be non-executive, meaning he will not have a management role at Berkshire. Instead, his responsibility will centre on maintaining the principles and culture that have shaped the conglomerate under Warren Buffett.

Howard has previously described that culture in simple terms.

"It's not rocket science," he told the Wall Street Journal in January 2025. "The culture is to keep things simple, to do what you need to do but don't do a lot of things you don't need to do, treat people fairly, respect your managers, respect your shareholders. Tell them the bad news upfront, be honest."

From farming to philanthropy

Howard's career has extended well beyond Berkshire's boardroom. He has worked as a farmer, photographer, conservationist and businessman, and spent about a decade in law enforcement, including serving as sheriff of Macon County, Illinois.

He has also held positions on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners in Nebraska, committees linked to the Office of the US Trade Representative and the Commission on Presidential Debates.

His work has included conservation and wildlife writing, with more than a dozen books to his name, including two New York Times bestsellers. He has also served as executive producer of award-winning documentary films.

Howard has sat on the boards of companies including Archer-Daniels Midland, Conagra Foods, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Enterprises and Lindsay Corporation, Reuters reported.

Beyond corporate roles, he heads the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a private charitable organisation focused on global hunger, human trafficking and conflict. The foundation, established in 1999 with funding from Warren Buffett, has supported humanitarian efforts in Ukraine in recent years.

Howard has travelled to more than 150 countries through his work and has received honours from governments including Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Rwanda and Ukraine for his philanthropic efforts, Reuters reported.

(Disclaimer: This article is based on inputs from agencies. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)