Warren Buffett personally initiated Berkshire Hathaway's $30 billion stake in Alphabet, Google's parent company, according to what he told CNBC. The trade shows Buffett still makes investment calls after handing the CEO role to Greg Abel at the start of 2026 and moving into the chairman's seat.
Warren Buffett picked Berkshire Hathaway's $30 billion stake in Alphabet himself, he told CNBC in a recent interview, even though he no longer runs the conglomerate day to day. Buffett made the call, and Greg Abel, who took over as chief executive at the start of 2026, approved it.
Buffett spent decades building Berkshire Hathaway before retiring as chief executive at the end of 2025 and handing the role to Abel, his hand-picked successor. He shifted into the chairman's seat rather than leaving the company outright, so he remains technically Abel's boss and stays available to weigh in when he feels strongly enough about a trade.
He also left Abel with nearly $400 billion of cash on the balance sheet, giving the new CEO a cushion for tough stretches and the firepower to buy companies during a recession or bear market, something Buffett did often while he was in charge. Buffett and Abel talk frequently and, according to Buffett, are on the same page.
Abel is not simply running Buffett's playbook. Berkshire Hathaway's purchase of Taylor Morrison Home showed that, as Abel specifically noted the company would integrate the new addition with its other housing businesses — a move the hands-off Buffett would not have made himself.
The Alphabet stake fits a narrower pattern. Buffett is stepping back from operating the business, but he still occasionally proposes an investment, while Abel handles everything else.
Source: Fool
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