Annual Shareholder Meeting 2026
This weekend marked a historic moment for Berkshire Hathaway: the first shareholder meeting without Warren Buffett on stage, as his successor, Greg Abel, took the lead. Buffett still made an appearance, though, and used it to praise Tim Cook, noting that he very effectively worked for Berkshire “indirectly” by turning a $30B investment in Apple into roughly $180B, the largest profit in the company’s history.
Abel was joined by members of his management team and focused heavily on continuity, emphasizing the culture and principles established by Buffett and Charlie Munger. The message was clear: evolve where necessary, but stay true to what built the empire.
A few points stood out to me:
The cash pile has climbed to nearly $400B, more than any other company holds
There’s a shortlist of acquisition targets, ready to act if markets weaken
Berkshire will remain Berkshire even without Buffett at the helm
One lighter moment: Abel showed an AI deepfake video featuring “Warren from Omaha.” It was a playful touch, but also came with a serious note: AI will be used thoughtfully, not just for the sake of it.
All in all, the company looks to be in very strong shape, well-positioned and patient, waiting for the right opportunities. For now, with markets still running high, they’re sticking to their classic contrarian mantra: “Be fearful when others are greedy.”
