Greg Abel

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Greg Abel, who became CEO of Berkshire Hathaway on January 1, 2026.

© Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Greg Abel (born June 1, 1962, Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian-born investor and accountant who became chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway on January 1, 2026. He is also chair of Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

Abel’s father worked for Levitt-Safety, a supplier of firefighting and environmental equipment, and his mother was a homemaker. Abel has credited his mother with instilling in him discipline and a strong work ethic. He worked part time at Levitt-Safety during high school and played football. He later attended the University of Alberta, where he graduated in 1984 with a bachelor of commerce degree. 

After college, Abel joined PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Edmonton and later transferred to the firm’s San Francisco office. While there, he was recruited by CalEnergy, a geothermal power company and PwC customer, to run its accounting operations.

In 1996, CalEnergy purchased an electric utility in England, and Abel moved with his family to manage the new operation. CalEnergy subsequently acquired an additional English utility company. In 1999, the company bought MidAmerican Energy, based in Des Moines, Iowa, and adopted the MidAmerican name. Abel returned to the United States and became the company’s president.

Later in 1999, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A, BRK-B), led by Warren Buffett, purchased a majority stake in MidAmerican. With Berkshire’s backing, MidAmerican pursued a series of acquisitions that significantly expanded its holdings. Abel was named CEO in 2008, and MidAmerican continued to grow. By 2019, the company reported roughly $92 billion in assets and accounted for 8% of Berkshire Hathaway’s total revenue and pretax earnings.

In 2018, Buffett promoted Abel to vice chair of Berkshire Hathaway, alongside Ajit Jain. Three years later, Buffett publicly identified Abel as his chosen successor. That plan was formalized in May 2025, when Buffett announced at Berkshire’s annual meeting that he would step down as CEO at year-end and recommended the board appoint Abel to the role.

“[T]he time has arrived where Greg should become the chief executive officer of the company at year-end,” Buffett said. The next day, the board voted unanimously to confirm Abel, effective January 1, 2026, while retaining Buffett as chair. Abel assumed the role as scheduled, marking the first change in Berkshire Hathaway’s chief executive leadership since Buffett took control of the company in 1965.

Under Abel, Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE) invested heavily in renewable energy, particularly wind and solar power, while also continuing to operate coal and natural gas facilities.

The company has faced criticism for maintaining coal-fired plants and for lobbying against stricter federal pollution rules. At the 2025 shareholder meeting, Abel defended Berkshire’s energy strategy, emphasizing the importance of reliability and gradual transition, while acknowledging the growing pressure for more climate-conscious policies.

Berkshire’s proxy filings show that Abel’s compensation as vice chair in 2024 totaled about $20 million, including a $16 million base salary and $3 million bonus. He oversees all of Berkshire’s noninsurance businesses, including BNSF Railway and BHE.

In 2022, Abel sold his roughly 1% stake in BHE back to Berkshire for about $870 million, later using some proceeds to purchase additional Berkshire Class A shares. These transactions made him one of Berkshire’s largest individual shareholders, with an estimated net worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Abel has served on the board of Kraft Heinz (KHC), a food company in which Berkshire Hathaway is a major shareholder, and has participated in industry associations tied to energy and utilities.

Abel has long lived in Des Moines, Iowa, where he has been active in community life, including coaching youth hockey. He is married to Andrea Abel, with whom he has a son. He also has three adult children from a previous marriage.

Although widely recognized as private about his family, Abel’s local ties and involvement in youth sports have been noted in profiles of his life outside Berkshire Hathaway. Reports suggest he intends to maintain his residence there even as he assumes leadership of Berkshire Hathaway, headquartered 135 miles west in Omaha, Nebraska.

Business profiles describe Abel as a disciplined and detail-oriented executive. Analysts often contrast his operational expertise with Buffett’s investment-driven style. Abel is expected to bring a more active oversight role to Berkshire’s subsidiaries as CEO, while leaving investment decisions in the hands of Buffett’s chosen managers.