What experts say about Greg Abel: The man set to succeed Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway

As Warren Buffett prepares to step down from the helm of Berkshire Hathaway by the end of this year, all eyes are on his chosen successor—Greg Abel. While Abel may not match Buffett’s legendary stature, analysts, board members, and executives across Berkshire’s sprawling empire believe he possesses the values and vision needed to preserve the company’s unique culture and long-term success.
Abel, currently Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, will take over the $1.18 trillion conglomerate, a transition Buffett officially confirmed during the company’s annual shareholder meeting on May 3 in Omaha. Though Buffett, 94, has hinted at succession plans over the years, the formal announcement still came as a surprise to many.
“It’s working way better with Greg Abel than with me, because I don’t want to work as hard as he works,” Buffett quipped, signalling his confidence in Abel’s commitment and capabilities.
Experts and executives across Berkshire’s vast network believe Abel is well-suited for the top job. Though not a household name, he is respected internally for his strategic acumen, integrity, and deep understanding of operations.
“Is he another Warren Buffett? No, there is no other Warren Buffett that I know,” said longtime Berkshire board member Ron Olson, two days before the announcement. “But he has so many of the fundamentals of Warren. He is for sure high integrity. He is a hard worker. He is a strategic thinker.”
Abel himself praised Buffett during the meeting, saying: “Warren has obviously been a remarkable teacher, and I have benefited from that for years.” Asked about his approach to managing Berkshire’s subsidiaries, Abel responded, “More active,” signalling his intent to be more engaged operationally while still honouring Berkshire’s decentralized culture.
That culture—defined by independence, trust, and minimal interference—is something Abel is expected to preserve. It was the late Charlie Munger who previously foreshadowed this leadership transition, famously saying: “Greg will keep the culture.”
Executives at a wide range of Berkshire companies—from Brooks Running and Shaw Industries to Borsheims jewelry—have praised Abel’s accessibility and strategic insights.
Chris Kelly, CEO of HomeServices of America, the largest US residential real estate brokerage, described Abel as a leader who challenges teams to think deeper. “Abel’s questions ensure you are thinking through directives and plans as a company,” he said. “You come away smarter from having a conversation with him.”
Troy Bader, CEO of Dairy Queen, echoed that sentiment. “When I think about Greg, he not only has high business acumen, but he has really high business instincts,” Bader said. “The intuition is really important. And, you know, Warren has that intuition, but Greg has a lot of it as well.”
Abel has also earned the trust to take on one of Buffett’s most important responsibilities: capital allocation. Over the past year, he has assumed more control over Berkshire’s investment strategy and, as Buffett confirmed last year, Abel will have the final say on decisions related to the company’s portfolio of public stocks.
Born in Edmonton, Alberta, on June 1, 1962, Abel grew up in a working-class household. “It was a real working-class family where sometimes people had jobs and sometimes they didn’t,” he recalled in a 2018 video for the Horatio Alger Association, which honored him that year. “You realized we were all working hard to try to advance our family.”
From cleaning discarded bottles to filling fire extinguishers, Abel held odd jobs before graduating from the University of Alberta in 1984. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and later joined the energy firm CalEnergy. He entered the Berkshire fold in 1992 through MidAmerican Energy, which Berkshire eventually acquired. Abel became its CEO in 2008 and now oversees all of Berkshire’s non-insurance businesses, including BNSF Railway, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and a variety of industrial and retail operations.
Though he has stayed largely out of the media spotlight, Abel has demonstrated his detailed business knowledge at Berkshire shareholder meetings, especially in discussions around utilities and railroads. His leadership style reflects Buffett’s focus on fundamentals—hard work, long-term thinking, and trust in people.
“I think hard work leads to good outcomes,” Abel said in 2018. “In my schooling, in sports, and in my business positions, I learned that if I put in a lot of work and was well-prepared, then success would be more likely.”
Experts agree that while Buffett’s shoes are impossible to fill, Greg Abel is well-prepared to lead with a steady hand. As the post-Buffett era begins, it’s not about replacing a legend—it’s about preserving a legacy. And according to those who know him, Abel is exactly the kind of leader who can do just that.
(With input from agencies)