Berkshire Hathaway CEO Gets 19% Pay Hike In First Year At Top Job

• Greg Abel earned $21 million in 2024 according to a regulatory filing. 
• Abel joined Berkshire in 2000, as part of the purchase of MidAmerican Energy. 
• Buffett stepped down from the top position at Berkshire on Dec. 31, 2025, after six decades in the role.

Berkshire Hathaway’s Chief Executive Officer Greg Abel will earn an annual cash salary of $25 million, according to a regulatory filing filed on Tuesday, a 19% jump from his 2024 salary of $21 million. 

The salary eclipses billionaire investor and former Berkshire CEO Warren Buffett’s $100,000 compensation he used to get for the role. 

Abel joined Berkshire in 2000, as part of the purchase of MidAmerican Energy and since has built Berkshire Hathaway Energy unit into one of the largest power providers in the U.S. He has been a vice chairman at Berkshire's non-insurance business since 2018.

Buffett in his final interview as CEO last week offered his strongest public endorsement of successor Abel saying Berkshire has better odds of lasting 100 years than any other company. Buffett stepped down from the top position at Berkshire on Dec. 31, 2025, after six decades in the role.

Pay Rise In Line With Trend

Median pay among top U.S. CEOs rose 7.5% to a record $16.8 million for 2024, according to the review of pay among S&P 500 CEOs by ISS-Corporate, as big stock grants boosted leaders' reported earnings well beyond the pay received by U.S. workers, as per a report from Reuters News. 

The CEOs of Axon, and Union Pacific, were among those getting big pay boosts from stock awards. Leaders at Wall Street firms like Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan all get pay bumps almost every year. Morgan Stanley’s CEO Ted Pick got $34 million for 2024, his first year in the top job.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the company’s shares trended in the ‘bearish’ territory amid ‘low’ message volume. Meanwhile, retail sentiment around BRK’s Class B shares was in the ‘neutral’ territory amid ‘normal’ message volumes. 

BRK’s Class A and Class B shares have both climbed nearly 10% in the past year.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.
 

Share

·

Add us on