For the first time, Warren Buffett will not be the central figure at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting on May 2, 2026, in Omaha. This change signals a significant leadership transition as Greg Abel has taken over as CEO at the start of the year.
Operating earnings fell nearly 30% in the fourth quarter of 2025, primarily due to a 54% drop in insurance underwriting profits. Berkshire’s shares have also fallen more than 5% year to date, trailing the S&P 500 index by over 30 percentage points since Buffett announced plans to step down last May.
Berkshire resumed stock buybacks in March for the first time since 2024, repurchasing roughly $226 million of its own stock. Abel has shown confidence in the company’s future; he used his entire after-tax salary of $15 million to personally buy shares.
The annual meeting is expected to draw around 30,000 shareholders. Macrae Sykes commented, “Clearly, nobody can replace Warren on the stage.” Bill Stone added, “I think part of it is really hard to expect a whole lot of earnings growth this year.”
