# Warren Buffett's son Howard takes Berkshire helm

> The 71-year-old farmer, former sheriff, and war photographer becomes chairman of the trillion-dollar conglomerate.
- Title: Warren Buffett's son Howard takes Berkshire helm · Fortune
- Summary: The 71-year-old farmer, former sheriff, and war photographer becomes chairman of the trillion-dollar conglomerate. Howard Buffett's unconventional career…
- Keywords: warren buffett, howard buffett, berkshire hathaway, chairman succession, greg abel, conglomerate leadership, family business, philanthropy, agriculture, conflict zones, Warren, Buffett's
- Source: Fortune — https://fortune.com/2026/09/18/warren-buffett-son-howard-berkshire-hathaway-chairman
- Author: Catherina Gioino
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: warren buffett, howard buffett, berkshire hathaway, chairman succession, greg abel, conglomerate leadership, family business, philanthropy, agriculture, conflict zones
## Warren's son takes the helm
Howard Buffett, 71, became chairman of Berkshire Hathaway on Friday when his father stepped down. He's spent most of his life farming, serving as a sheriff, and photographing war zones across 130 countries.
## A career outside finance
Howard has been a Berkshire director for 33 years but built his career in farming, conservation, and humanitarian work. He operates a 1,500-acre family farm in Illinois and runs research farms spanning over 11,000 acres across Arizona and South Africa.
## Sheriff and photographer
Howard served as Sheriff of Macon County, Illinois from 2017 to 2018 and still holds the position of undersheriff. He's also published photography from conflict zones including Ukraine and wildlife habitats across roughly 130 countries.
## Guarding culture, not operations
Greg Abel continues as CEO handling day-to-day operations and capital decisions. Warren Buffett said Howard's role is to guard Berkshire's culture and values, acting as a check against any future leadership that might unwind the company's buy-and-hold philosophy.

> Greg runs the company; Howard will guard its culture and values, both worth more than anything on our balance sheet.
## Distributing 145 billion dollars
Howard and his two siblings are responsible for distributing most of Warren Buffett's 145 billion dollar fortune through their own foundations, which now distribute roughly 500 million dollars annually combined.
## Funding alone won't fix poverty
Howard has emphasized that money can't solve problems in countries like Congo and Sudan without addressing rule of law. He believes funding without addressing governance issues will go nowhere.

> There's a lot of things you can fund that will go nowhere. If you're not addressing the real issue of rule of law then you just can't have success.
## Key takeaway

Howard Buffett's unconventional career outside finance positions him to protect Berkshire's culture and values rather than run day-to-day operations.