Key Points
Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate heavily involved in insurance and energy, as well as many other industries.
It has grown robustly and can continue to grow.
I've owned shares of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRKA) (NYSE: BRKB) for a bunch of years now, and I have no plans to sell out of it until, perhaps, I'm in the thick of retirement and need a cash infusion. Thus, I plan to still be a shareholder in 2036 -- and beyond.
Here's a look at why I plan to hang on.
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Not because of Warren Buffett -- but kind of because of Warren Buffett
The headline suggests that I'm hanging on not because of Warren Buffett -- the guy who built Berkshire Hathaway into a company now worth more than $1 trillion -- and in the process increased the company's share price by more than 6,000,000% (nearly 20% annually) over 60 years. To truly appreciate how impressive that is, know that the S&P 500 index, which is made up of 500 of America's biggest companies, gained about 46,000% (10.5% annually, on average) over the same period.
Buffett actually stepped down from the CEO post at the beginning of 2026, so the company is now led by his chosen successor, Greg Abel. Indeed, Buffett just turned 96, so one reason I won't be hanging on to my shares in 2036 is that, by then, he'd be 106 -- and will likely not be too involved in running the company.
But on the other hand, a key reason I plan to hang on is Buffett -- because he built Berkshire Hathaway to last. He has instilled a great culture among the many managers of Berkshire's wholly owned subsidiaries.
For example, the Berkshire Hathaway Life website notes that "Berkshire Hathaway has a culture based on an ethical code that promotes honesty, integrity, a long-term orientation, and an emphasis on the customer." It also includes this famous Buffett quotation: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."
More reasons to hang on to Berkshire Hathaway
Here are some other reasons I'm hanging on:
I like Greg Abel: So far, I'm satisfied with Greg Abel's leadership. He has much of the Berkshire Hathaway stock portfolio invested in these top holdings: Apple, American Express, Coca-Cola, Alphabet, and Bank of America. He recently made a major acquisition, buying homebuilder Taylor Morrison. And he's also been buying back many Berkshire Hathaway shares, boosting the value of the remaining shares.
Diversification: The company is not solely focused on any one (or two, or three) industries -- instead, it's a true conglomerate, owning multiple insurance and energy operations, along with companies such as GEICO, Benjamin Moore, McLane, NetJets, Dairy Queen International, See's Candies, Fruit of the Loom, Pilot Travel Centers, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, and the entire BNSF railroad.
It's defensive: Many of Berkshire's companies are defensive, meaning an economic downturn won't hurt them too much. It has a lot of energy businesses, for instance, and companies and consumers will keep needing to pay for power. They'll also keep paying their insurance bills, and will still spring for a Dairy Queen cone. Businesses will still need to transport goods via trucks (McLane) and rail (BNSF).
Berkshire Hathaway stock is a no-brainer for me. I'm hanging on.
American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Selena Maranjian has positions in Alphabet, American Express, Apple, and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, American Express, Apple, and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.