Abel Shifts Berkshire's Focus to Acquiring Whole Companies
Greg Abel, the new CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is charting a different course for the conglomerate. Since taking over at the start of 2026, Abel has closed two major acquisitions, including the $6.8 billion purchase of homebuilder Taylor Morrison in June. This deal marked a significant shift from his predecessor's hands-off approach, with Abel actively consolidating and streamlining operations to drive efficiency and scale.
Abel's strategy is centered around acquiring whole companies, rather than relying on stock picks. In the first quarter, he sold or exited more than a dozen stock positions, including Berkshire's remaining Amazon.com shares and its entire stakes in Visa, Mastercard, and UnitedHealth Group. He also added two new stocks to the portfolio: Delta Air Lines (worth $2.6 billion) and Macy's ($55 million).
Berkshire's cash stockpile stood at a record $397.4 billion at the end of the first quarter, according to Buffett's own assessment. Abel seems to agree that there are better opportunities in acquiring whole companies whose financials can be folded directly into Berkshire's books.