Berkshire Hathaway vs Oracle: Founders, CEOs and History
Berkshire Hathaway was founded in 1839 by Oliver Chace, Warren Edward Buffett and is led by Greg Abel. Oracle was founded in 1977 by Lawrence Joseph Ellison, Robert Nimrod Miner, Edward A. Oates and is led by Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia.
Company facts
Berkshire Hathaway
- Founded
- 1839
- Headquarters
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Current CEO
- Greg Abel
- Employees
- 387,800
Oracle
- Founded
- 1977
- Headquarters
- Austin, Texas, United States
- Current CEO
- Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia
- Employees
- 141,000
Founders
Berkshire Hathaway
Oliver Chace
Berkshire Hathaway is famous not for the men who originally founded it, but for the man who conquered and reinvented it. The original company, the Valley Falls Company, was a textile manufacturer established by Oliver Chace in Rhode Island in 1839.
Warren Edward Buffett
Warren Buffett effectively refounded Berkshire Hathaway beginning in 1965 when his investment partnership gained control of the struggling New England textile company and he became its chairman and CEO.
Oracle
Lawrence Joseph Ellison
Oracle possesses arguably the most aggressive, intensely competitive, and controversial founding story in the entire history of Silicon Valley, rooted entirely in a CIA contract and driven by arguably the most competitive billionaire in American business histo…
Robert Nimrod Miner
Bob Miner co-founded Oracle and served as the central technical architect behind the company's early database products. While Ellison drove sales and strategy, Miner focused on making the software work for demanding customers.
Edward A. Oates
Ed Oates co-founded Oracle in 1977 and played an important role in the company's early technical and product formation. He helped the young company take relational database concepts and present them in an usable, commercially credible way.
CEOs and their tenures
Berkshire Hathaway
- Seabury Stanton1955–1965
President
Stanton ran Hathaway Manufacturing from the 1930s and led the 1955 merger with Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates that created Berkshire Hathaway Inc. He closed plants and used liquidation proceeds to buy back stock as New England textiles declined.
Source - Warren Buffett1965–2025
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Buffett took control of Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 and turned a shrinking textile maker into a holding company built on insurance float.
Source - Greg Abel2026–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Abel became President and CEO on January 1, 2026 after the board approved the succession in May 2025.
Source
Oracle
- Larry Ellison1977–present
Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer
As the legendary Founder and CTO, he maintains absolute, tyrannical control over the company's strategic direction, fiercely driving its massive pivot toward cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
Source - Safra Catz2014–2025
Executive Vice Chair (CEO 2014-2025)
Served as co-CEO from 2014 and sole CEO from 2019 until September 2025, when she became executive vice chair of the board.
Source - Hilary Maxson2021–present
Chief Financial Officer
She brings critical global financial expertise to the board's massive capital allocation strategies.
Source - Clay Magouyrk2025–present
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Previously president of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, where he led the OCI build-out from its early engineering team. Named co-CEO on September 22, 2025 with responsibility tied to Oracle's AI infrastructure expansion.
Source - Mike Sicilia2025–present
Co-Chief Executive Officer
As Executive Vice President of Global Industries, he manages Oracle's massive push into highly specialized vertical software markets, particularly focusing on healthcare and telecommunications.
Source
Timeline: Berkshire Hathaway and Oracle side by side
1839Berkshire Hathaway
Valley Falls Company Founded
Oliver Chace founds the Valley Falls Company in Valley Falls, Rhode Island, as a cotton textile manufacturer. Chace had learned the trade working with Samuel Slater and built his first mill in 1806.
1955Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Fine Spinning and Hathaway Manufacturing Merge
Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates and Hathaway Manufacturing combine and take the Berkshire Hathaway name.
1962Berkshire Hathaway
Buffett Partnership Buys Its First Berkshire Shares
Buffett Partnership Ltd. buys its first Berkshire Hathaway shares in December 1962. Buffett was drawn to the pattern of Berkshire closing plants and using the liquidation proceeds to repurchase its own stock.
1964Berkshire Hathaway
Tender Offer Dispute With Seabury Stanton
Berkshire president Seabury Stanton asks Buffett at what price Buffett Partnership would sell, agrees to $11.50 a share, then mails a tender offer at $11.375.
1965Berkshire Hathaway
Buffett Takes Control and Names Ken Chace President
Buffett Partnership takes control of Berkshire Hathaway in May 1965 and Stanton leaves. Buffett selects Ken Chace, a long-time employee, as president to run the textile operation, and the cash it generates is pointed at other industries.
1967Berkshire Hathaway
Entry Into Insurance With National Indemnity
Early in 1967 Berkshire pays $8.6 million to buy National Indemnity Company and a small sister insurer from owner Jack Ringwalt.
1972Berkshire Hathaway
See's Candies Bought for $25 Million
Blue Chip Stamps, controlled by Buffett and Munger and later merged into Berkshire, buys See's Candies for $25 million.
1977Oracle
Oracle Founded
Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates founded the company that became Oracle.
1985Berkshire Hathaway
Textile Operations Closed
Buffett decides in July 1985 to close Berkshire's textile operation and the shutdown is largely complete by year end. He described it as finally throwing in the towel after twenty years of unremitting struggle with the business.
1986Oracle
Oracle IPO
Oracle went public on the Nasdaq in March 1986.
1994Oracle
Acquired Rdb
Oracle acquired Rdb in 1994.
1996Berkshire Hathaway
GEICO Becomes Wholly Owned and Class B Shares Created
Berkshire buys the remaining 49% of GEICO on January 2, 1996, having held 51%, and GEICO becomes a wholly owned subsidiary. Shareholders also approve a recapitalization creating Class B shares with the economic rights of one thirtieth of a Class A share.
1998Berkshire Hathaway
General Re and Executive Jet Acquired
Berkshire acquires reinsurer General Re and fractional-aircraft operator Executive Jet.
2005Oracle
Acquired PeopleSoft
Oracle acquired PeopleSoft for $10.3 billion. Oracle acquired PeopleSoft to significantly expand its enterprise applications portfolio and compete more directly with SAP.
2008Oracle
Acquired BEA Systems
Oracle acquired BEA Systems for $8.5 billion. Oracle acquired BEA Systems to strengthen middleware, application server, and enterprise integration capabilities.
2010Berkshire Hathaway
BNSF Railway Acquired
Berkshire completes its purchase of Burlington Northern Santa Fe in the first quarter of 2010.
2010Oracle
Sun Microsystems Acquisition
Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems, adding Java, Solaris, and hardware assets.
2014Oracle
Ellison Steps Down as CEO
Larry Ellison stepped down as chief executive in September 2014, and Mark Hurd and Safra Catz became co-CEOs.
2016Berkshire Hathaway
Precision Castparts Acquired
Berkshire completes the purchase of Precision Castparts, an aerospace and industrial components maker, for $235 a share in cash.
2016Oracle
Acquired NetSuite
Oracle acquired NetSuite for $9.3 billion. Oracle acquired NetSuite to strengthen its cloud-native ERP portfolio and reach mid-sized companies that were not ideal buyers for Oracle's traditional enterprise applications.
2018Berkshire Hathaway
Abel and Jain Named Vice Chairmen
Berkshire's board expands from twelve to fourteen directors and elects Greg Abel and Ajit Jain.
2022Berkshire Hathaway
Alleghany Corporation Acquired
Berkshire completes the acquisition of insurer Alleghany Corporation on October 19, 2022, paying $848.02 a share in cash for a total equity value of about $11.6 billion and adding the TransRe reinsurance business.
2022Oracle
Cerner Acquisition Completed
Oracle completed the Cerner acquisition and expanded into healthcare data systems.
2024Berkshire Hathaway
Market Value Tops $1 Trillion
Berkshire's market capitalization passes $1 trillion on August 28, 2024, making it the first US company outside the technology sector to reach that level.
2024Berkshire Hathaway
Pilot Travel Centers Fully Owned
Berkshire acquires the remaining 20% of Pilot Travel Centers on January 16, 2024 and takes full ownership. It had bought 38.6% in 2017 and a further 41.4% for about $8.2 billion in January 2023.
2025Berkshire Hathaway
Board Approves Abel as CEO From January 2026
Berkshire announces in May 2025 that Greg Abel will become President and Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2026, with Warren Buffett remaining Chairman of the Board.
2025Oracle
Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia Named CEOs
Oracle promoted Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia to Chief Executive Officers; Safra Catz became Executive Vice Chair.
2026Berkshire Hathaway
Abel Becomes CEO and Buffett Becomes Chairman Emeritus
Abel takes over as CEO on January 1, 2026 and Berkshire completes the $9.7 billion purchase of OxyChem from Occidental on January 2. On September 18, 2026 Buffett is named Chairman Emeritus and remains a director, and his son Howard G.
2026Oracle
$67.357B FY2026 Revenue
Oracle reported record FY2026 total revenue of $67.357 billion.
2026Oracle
Q1 FY2027: $664B RPO
Oracle reported Q1 FY2027 revenue of $19.3B and RPO of $664B, and completed a $20B at-the-market common stock sale.
Acquisitions
Berkshire Hathaway
- OxyChem (Occidental Chemical Corporation)2026$9.7B
- Alleghany Corporation2022$11.6B
- Precision Castparts Corp.2016$37.2B
- Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (BNSF)2010$44B
- McLane Company2003$1.5B
- General Re Corporation1998$22B
Oracle
- Cerner2022$28.3B
- NetSuite2016$9.3B
- Sun Microsystems2010$7.4B
- BEA Systems2008$8.5B
- Hyperion Solutions2007$3.3B
- Siebel Systems2006$5.8B
Questions about Berkshire Hathaway vs Oracle
Who is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Oracle Corporation?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is led by Greg Abel and Oracle Corporation is led by Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Berkshire Hathaway Inc. founded vs Oracle Corporation?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. was founded in 1839 — 138 years before Oracle Corporation, which was founded in 1977. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Oracle Corporation.
How many employees does Berkshire Hathaway Inc. have compared to Oracle Corporation?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. employs approximately 387,800 people, while Oracle Corporation employs approximately 141,000. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has the larger workforce at 387,800 employees, compared to Oracle Corporation's 141,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Oracle Corporation headquartered?
Both Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Oracle Corporation are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Oracle Corporation?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. was founded by Oliver Chace, Warren Edward Buffett. Oracle Corporation was founded by Lawrence Joseph Ellison, Robert Nimrod Miner, Edward A. Oates.
Which company has a longer operating history — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Oracle Corporation?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has been operating for approximately 187 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Oracle Corporation has been in operation for around 49 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Berkshire Hathaway vs Oracle overview