Buffett Says He Personally Drove Berkshire's Alphabet Buy

Warren Buffett says Berkshire Hathaway's big bet on Google's parent company was his idea. In a Wednesday interview with CNBC, Buffett said that while Greg Abel is now at the company's helm, it was Buffett who "initiated" the conglomerate's investment in Alphabet, framing it as part of the quest "to find businesses that are going to earn high returns on capital for an extended period of time." But he doesn't view Alphabet as Berkshire's crown jewel, notes Quartz: "I don't like it as well as at least four or five other businesses that we own," Buffett said.

Berkshire first revealed an Alphabet stake in the third quarter of 2025 and has since bulked it up, including a $10 billion private stock purchase last month. Buffett, who gave up the CEO role earlier this year but remains chairman, stressed that investment calls are now a joint process with CEO Greg Abel: "We talk all the time, but he is the decider."