After more than 60 years shaping modern investing, Warren Buffett has formally stepped down as chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, marking the end of one of the most influential tenures in corporate history. At 94, Buffett hands day-to-day operational control to Greg Abel, while remaining chairman—ensuring continuity even as an era quietly closes.
Buffett’s departure is more than a leadership change. It represents the conclusion of a philosophy that defined generations: disciplined value investing, patience measured in decades, and a deep belief that wealth is built on productive, cash-generating assets rather than speculation.
---
The Investor Who Never Bought the Bitcoin Story
In his later years, Buffett became almost as famous for what he rejected as for what he bought—especially Bitcoin.
His blunt skepticism entered pop-culture lore in 2018, when he described Bitcoin as “rat poison squared” during interviews with CNBC, at a time when the crypto market was reeling from a historic crash. But it was his 2022 Berkshire shareholder meeting comment that truly cemented his stance.
Buffett told thousands of investors that even if someone offered him all the Bitcoin in existence for $25, he wouldn’t accept it.
His reasoning was simple—and consistent with his life’s work: assets should do something. Farmland grows crops. Apartments generate rent. Businesses produce goods, services, and profits. Bitcoin, in Buffett’s view, did none of that.
To him, value wasn’t about price appreciation—it was about utility.
---
Charlie Munger’s Even Sharper Words
Buffett was not alone. His longtime partner, Charlie Munger, was even more caustic in his assessment of cryptocurrencies.
At Berkshire’s 2021 annual meeting, Munger called Bitcoin “disgusting and contrary to the interests of civilization.” In a later interview with the Wall Street Journal, he said he was proud Berkshire had completely avoided crypto, later comparing its promotion to a social disease and dismissing the entire sector with withering contempt.
Together, Buffett and Munger formed the most prominent anti-crypto duo in global finance—unmoved by rallies, ETFs, or institutional adoption.
---
From Textile Mill to Trillion-Dollar Titan
Buffett’s legacy, however, rests firmly on what he built.
He began acquiring Berkshire in the early 1960s when it was a struggling textile company trading around $7.60 per share. Over decades, he transformed it into a sprawling conglomerate spanning insurance, railroads, energy, manufacturing, and consumer brands.
Today, Berkshire Hathaway’s Class A shares trade above $750,000, and the company’s market value approaches $1 trillion.
Buffett’s personal fortune—estimated near $150 billion—was built almost entirely through Berkshire stock. Remarkably, he has already given away more than $60 billion to charity, reinforcing his long-stated belief that wealth carries responsibility.
---
The End of an Era, Not an Influence
As Buffett steps aside, debates he helped define continue. Bitcoin now has ETFs, sovereign adoption, and growing institutional legitimacy—yet none of it ever changed his mind. For Buffett, investing was never about trends or technological novelty. It was about durability, earnings, and trust earned over time.
His retirement doesn’t settle the argument between value investing and digital assets—but it does close the chapter on the world’s most famous skeptic.
Whether history ultimately sides with Bitcoin or Buffett, one truth is undeniable: few investors have ever shaped global finance—or public debate—so profoundly.
