Greg Abel took over as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway on January 1, 2026. In the first six months of his tenure, he spent $32 billion from the company's cash reserves. This shifted the conglomerate's strategy from a conservative approach to an aggressive buying posture.
The company's cash pile decreased from $397.4 billion at the end of Q1 2026 to $365.5 billion by June 30, 2026. During the second quarter of 2026, Berkshire became a net buyer of equities for the first time in over three years, purchasing nearly $20 billion in stocks.
Berkshire Hathaway also resumed share buybacks, spending $4.5 billion on its own stock in Q2 2026. Additionally, the company acquired the homebuilder Taylor Morrison for approximately $8.5 billion in cash.
Greg Abel personally invested in the company. In March 2026, he purchased 21 Class A shares of Berkshire worth about $15.3 million, using his entire after-tax salary for the year.
While Abel maintains the decentralized conglomerate model, he expressed openness to selling underperforming business units. Warren Buffett remains the chairman and continues to influence certain stock decisions, specifically regarding the position in Alphabet.