Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and one of the largest companies in the world by market capitalization.
History & Structure
Originally a textile mill founded in 1839, Berkshire was transformed into a diversified holding company by Warren Buffett, who took control in 1965. Under Buffett, the company achieved a compound annual growth rate of 19.8% from 1965 to 2023, versus 10.2% for the S&P 500. In August 2024, Berkshire became the first non-technology company to be valued at over $1 trillion on U.S. markets.
Business Segments
Berkshire operates across seven broad categories:
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Insurance: GEICO, Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group, General Re — the core "float" engine funding acquisitions
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Railroads: BNSF Railway (100% owned)
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Utilities & Energy: Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE), including AltaLink, PacifiCorp
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Manufacturing: Precision Castparts, Lubrizol, Iscar, OxyChem (since Jan 2026)
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Consumer Products: Duracell, Brooks Running, Fruit of the Loom
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Service: FlightSafety International, NetJets, HomeServices of America
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Retailing: See's Candies, Dairy Queen, Benjamin Moore, Acme Brick
Key Equity Investments (Non-Subsidiary)
Beyond wholly-owned subsidiaries, Berkshire holds major minority stakes including Apple, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, American Express, and retains ~28% of Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) — a separate investment from the OxyChem acquisition.
