Greg Abel, the Berkshire Hathaway chief executive officer succeeding investment legend Warren Buffett, known as the "Oracle of Omaha," is making his presence felt by executing investments worth nearly 25 trillion won in just two days. The move is drawing attention as it stands in stark contrast to Buffett, who prized maintaining ample cash reserves.
According to Reuters on Tuesday (local time), Abel executed $16.8 billion (about 25 trillion won) in investments over just two days from October 31 to November 1. On November 1, Berkshire Hathaway agreed to participate in Alphabet's $80 billion (about 121 trillion won) stock offering, purchasing $10 billion (about 15 trillion won) worth of Alphabet shares through a private placement. On October 31, the company announced it would acquire Taylor Morrison Home, a major homebuilder operating in 12 U.S. states, for $6.8 billion (about 10 trillion won).
Reuters interpreted the investments as "something his predecessor (Buffett) did not do," adding that the move "responds to investor demands for more aggressive deployment of Berkshire Hathaway's massive cash pile."
Before stepping down, Buffett pushed Berkshire Hathaway's cash holdings to record highs by selling stocks and accumulating cash. As of March 31, the company's cash reserves stood at $380.2 billion (about 576 trillion won). Shareholders had voiced dissatisfaction with the strategy. Berkshire Hathaway shares have fallen 13% from their record high in May 2025, while the tech-heavy S&P 500 index rose 34% over the same period. "Everyone has been waiting for Greg to step out of Warren Buffett's shadow and show his own moves, and now we are seeing it," said Steve Check, president of Check Capital Management based in Costa Mesa, California. "It is an encouraging sign."
The Alphabet investment in particular is viewed as a symbolic bet under the new Berkshire Hathaway regime, given Buffett's lukewarm stance on technology investments. Even when Buffett invested in Apple, he viewed it as a bet on a consumer company rather than a tech company. For this reason, his investment in Google came late, and Buffett along with his longtime partner, the late Charlie Munger, former Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman, publicly expressed regret for "missing the opportunity." At Berkshire Hathaway's 2019 annual shareholders' meeting, the late Vice Chairman Munger said, "We made a mistake," and Buffett concurred, saying, "He's saying we missed the opportunity."
Berkshire Hathaway began investing in Alphabet in the third quarter of last year, with its stake valued at $16.6 billion as of March 31. With the additional investment, Alphabet is expected to become one of Berkshire's top five stock holdings, a list currently led by iPhone maker Apple. As Buffett still retains his position as Berkshire's board chairman, he is presumed to have been partially involved in the investment decision.
