Berkshire Vice Chairman Greg Abel speaks with shareholders at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 2, 2025.
Brendan McDiarmid | Reuters
Greg Abel, newly appointed CEO Berkshire Hathawayis following in the footsteps of legendary investor Warren Buffett, who has seen a significant increase in his salary.
Mr. Abel, who started his new role at the conglomerate on Jan. 1, will see his annual cash salary increase to $25 million, according to a Tuesday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The increase took effect on the same day.
Mr. Buffett defended Mr. Abel in his new capacity. The investor told CNBC’s Becky Quick in May that he would rather have Abel handle his money “rather than a top investment advisor or a top CEO in the United States.”
“This is a huge endorsement, but this is an endorsement we made,” Buffett told Quick.
Prior to joining Berkshire’s management team, Mr. Abel served as vice chairman of the company’s non-insurance business. He received a salary of $21 million in 2024 and “other compensation” of $17,250 in that post, according to a 2025 regulatory filing.
Buffett, who led Berkshire at the time, earned an annual salary of $100,000, with an additional $305,111 in “other compensation” in 2024.
