- Business
- Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is a multinational conglomerate holding company that owns and operates a diverse portfolio of subsidiaries engaged in insurance and reinsurance; freight rail transportation through BNSF Railway; utilities and energy via Berkshire Hathaway Energy, including HomeServices of America and Pilot Flying J; manufacturing businesses such as Benjamin Moore & Co., Clayton Homes, CTB International, Duracell, Fruit of the Loom, Johns Manville, Lubrizol, Precision Castparts Corp., Scott Fetzer Company and Garan Inc.; and services and retailing including Ben Bridge Jeweler, Business Wire, Dairy Queen, McLane Company, NetJets, Oriental Trading Company, Pampered Chef, See's Candies, Star Furniture and WPLG. The company also maintains significant equity investments in public securities, including major stakes in Apple Inc., American Express Co., Bank of America Corp., Coca-Cola Co., Chevron Corp. and Occidental Petroleum Corp., alongside diversified holdings in Japanese trading houses such as Mitsubishi Corp., Itochu Corp., Mitsui & Co., Marubeni Corp. and Sumitomo Corp. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Berkshire Hathaway traces its origins to a textile manufacturer formed in 1955, with its modern incarnation emerging under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Warren E. Buffett beginning in 1965; the company employs approximately 392,400 people worldwide and operates across North America, Europe, Asia and other regions. In recent developments, Berkshire Hathaway announced on October 2, 2025, a definitive agreement to acquire OxyChem, Occidental Petroleum Corp.'s chemical manufacturing subsidiary, for $9.7 billion in cash, marking its largest acquisition since Allegheny Corp. in 2022 and bolstering its industrial portfolio with production of commodity chemicals for water treatment, pharmaceuticals and construction; the deal, expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025 pending regulatory approvals, follows full ownership consolidation of Pilot Flying J in 2024, increased stakes in energy and consumer names like Constellation Brands and Domino's Pizza in Q4 2024 and Q2-Q3 2025 portfolio adjustments including new positions in Alphabet Inc. and reductions in Apple Inc. and Bank of America Corp.