Warren Buffett shocked shareholders at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting by announcing his retirement as CEO by the end of 2025. The 94-year-old billionaire investor will recommend Vice Chair Greg Abel as his successor to the board.
Buffett’s decision marks the end of his 55-year tenure as CEO, during which he transformed Berkshire Hathaway into a global corporate giant.
Before stepping down, Buffett expressed concerns about President Donald Trump’s tariffs, warning that “trade should not be a weapon” and that such policies risk global instability. “It’s a big mistake when you have 7.5 billion people who don’t like you very well, and you have 300 million who are crowing about how they have done,” Buffett said. He emphasized the importance of balanced trade and global cooperation for peace and prosperity.
Despite his criticism of current trade policies, Buffett remains optimistic about America’s future, stating, “If I were being born today, I would just keep negotiating in the womb until they said, ‘You could be in the United States’”. His retirement announcement was met with a standing ovation from the crowd, with Buffett humorously noting that the reaction “can be interpreted in two ways”.
