r/finance • u/Astraeus323 • 29d ago

Warren Buffett stepping down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway: 'Father Time always wins'

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/18/buffett-stepping-down-as-berkshire-chairman.html
750 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

114

u/randyrockhard 29d ago

Time to put on my big boy shorts

81

u/Marklar0 29d ago edited 29d ago

Understatement of the century to say that Berkshire has returned double the S&P500. Someone needs to explain to this reporter that 20% instead of 10% is not double the returns lmao. Berkshire beat the S&P 500 by over 120 times on a 60 year horizon.

2

u/Imaginary_Zone_4319 24d ago

1.1^60=304.482. 1.2^60=56,347.514. 56350/305=184.754.

BH beat the market by 185x. Insane run.

96

u/Numerous_Worker_1941 29d ago

Damn. And to think he started out getting famous for singing Margaritaville

24

u/AverageIndependent20 29d ago

I think you have him confused with his brother Jimmy

6

u/jethroguardian 29d ago

No, they're talking about a large spread of food you can pick and choose from.

2

u/loolem 29d ago

No that’s a buffet, they’re thinking about that delightful writer of the song “Smelly Cat” from the show friends!

2

u/andsens 26d ago

No that's buffay, they're thinking of waxing their car.

1

u/Maint3nanc3 11d ago

No that's a buff. They're thinking of that vampire hunter that had her own TV show.

14

u/DanielShaww 29d ago

It's probably priced in already

27

u/howtoreadspaghetti 29d ago

The GOAT has earned his rest. 

61

u/BusinessBull 29d ago

What an amazing legacy he's left. Fairwell Oracle.

9

u/scabbyshitballs 29d ago

Have you seen the son that’s taking over? Pretty sure he’s as old as his dad. Like the Mandelbaums in Seinfeld

3

u/Live_It_Fully 28d ago

The interesting part is whether investors can separate Buffett from Berkshire.

The whole point of the succession plan was that they should be able to. But a lot of Berkshire’s value has always been trust in one person’s judgment.

20

u/alek_hiddel 29d ago

The suddenness of this has me a little worried.

60

u/DoItForTheTanqueray 29d ago

That a man in his late 90s is near the end of his life?

Yes that is indeed what happens.

-9

u/alek_hiddel 29d ago

No, the stepping down. Warren is a machine, and very calculated. We knew well in advance when stepped down as CEO. This was sudden, and feels like “oh no, why is he rushing”?

12

u/grachi 29d ago

Yes. Because he is in his 90s

3

u/ninjadude1992 29d ago

I agree, I mean yea it's probably mostly his age but it's probably all the world events. Sure his businesses aren't Directly involved with oil etc but it only takes time for everything to reach out and back. He probably wants to end on a somewhat high note not during the middle of a recession

25

u/ConfidentAd1045 29d ago

He gone. Perfect timing if you really think about. Exit of worlds best fundamental investor in history just as fundamentals completely dump off the cliff after being ignored for 15 years

7

u/gumbo_chops 29d ago

Dude has been talking about his exit plans for years, even before Munger passed away.

1

u/ConversationOk74 29d ago

It's just the concurrence of events

3

u/iBUYbrokenSUBARUS 29d ago

I do a lot of work for Ted Weschler, who is one of the top guys right under Warren Buffett. I’ve only met him once but his ex-wife Sheila has a huge spread in Charlottesville and rumor has it, she got half of his assets in the divorce which totals about $2.5 billion.

1

u/feckdech 28d ago

Markets are about to crash.

1

u/SaltSkin7348 27d ago

God I hope!

0

u/feckdech 27d ago

I guess we all do. But what we really need and want is a reset to the old rigged societal system.

When that all ends, pain follows, it isn't for the top, it's all the way below, and the exit isn't straight forward, neither the exit itself is sure to happen, we can still go further and darker on the tunnel.

This AI "boom" is, for me, a way to control society. Everything is digital, even the money. If AI comes to police the digital world , we're fucked. We'll need other AIs to counter it, but Anthropic CEO is already calling for "regulation", which in other words means "rules for thee, not for me".

1

u/Boring_Owl6552 20d ago

Father time wins, and mother earth generally gets whatever remains. In any event, you can't take it with you.

1

u/East_Willow2023 19d ago

After more than 50 years as chairman, this is definitely a huge transition for Berkshire. Crazy to think how long Buffett was at the helm.

1

u/harbison215 19d ago

Father Time is a big part of how Buffett was able to be so successful. Sound investing, patience and time.

1

u/Sea_Roll_6474 16d ago

Ticker to ticker, the move feels more like a smooth hand‑off than a shock. Buffett’s 96‑year‑old pause aligns with the long‑term plan: Greg already runs the engine, Howard has the watchword, and Warren’s still on the board as emeritus. To the price‑hunters who worry about separating a legend from the company, remember the brand isn’t built on one man – it’s a culture of patience, discipline and a franchise that exists beyond a single face.