Berkshire Hathaway vs Volkswagen: Founders, CEOs and History
Berkshire Hathaway was founded in 1839 by Oliver Chace, Warren Edward Buffett and is led by Greg Abel. Volkswagen was founded in 1937 by Ferdinand Porsche and is led by Oliver Blume.
Company facts
Berkshire Hathaway
- Founded
- 1839
- Headquarters
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Current CEO
- Greg Abel
- Employees
- 387,800
Volkswagen
- Founded
- 1937
- Headquarters
- Wolfsburg, Germany
- Current CEO
- Oliver Blume
- Employees
- 663,000
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.
Volkswagen
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1951) was an Austrian-born automotive engineer who had worked for Lohner, Austro-Daimler and Daimler-Benz before opening his own design office in Stuttgart in 1931.
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
Volkswagen
- Hermann Münch1946–1947
Chief Executive Officer
Early executive involved in the incredibly complex immediate post-war administration of the completely destroyed factory under British military control.
Source - Heinrich Nordhoff1948–1968
Chief Executive Officer
The absolute legendary post-war architect who took the ruins of the VW factory and transformed the Beetle into a massive, globally beloved cultural icon and economic miracle.
Source - Kurt Lotz1968–1971
Chief Executive Officer
Early post-war leader who began the critical process of diversifying VW's lineup beyond relying entirely on a single model (the Beetle).
Source - Rudolf Leiding1971–1975
Chief Executive Officer
Crucial CEO who managed the extremely difficult, highly risky transition away from the iconic but severely outdated Beetle toward modern, front-wheel-drive water-cooled cars (like the Golf).
Source - Toni Schmücker1975–1982
Chief Executive Officer
Guided the company through the severe financial crises of the 1970s, ensuring the successful launch and massive adoption of the original VW Golf.
Source - Carl Hahn1982–1993
Chief Executive Officer
As CEO in the 1980s, he executed the massive, highly strategic acquisitions of SEAT and Skoda, laying the foundation for VW's absolute dominance in Europe.
Source - Ferdinand Piëch1993–2002
Chief Executive Officer
As the legendary, absolutely ruthless patriarch (and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche), he transformed VW from a struggling mass-market brand into the most powerful automotive conglomerate on Earth.
Source - Bernd Pischetsrieder2002–2006
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 2002 to 2006, he oversaw the incredibly complex integration of massive luxury brands like Bugatti and Bentley into the VW Group portfolio.
Source - Martin Winterkorn2007–2015
Chief Executive Officer
As the notoriously demanding, absolutely feared CEO, he oversaw massive global expansion but fostered a culture of absolute terror that led engineers to cheat rather than admit failure.
Source - Matthias Müller2015–2018
Chief Executive Officer
As CEO during the darkest period in modern VW history, he initiated the massive cultural purge of the toxic, highly secretive engineering culture that caused the cheating scandal.
Source - Herbert Diess2018–2022
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO, he forcefully dragged the massive, highly bureaucratic legacy automaker into the Tesla era, though his abrasive style alienated the powerful Porsche-Piëch families.
Source - Oliver Blume2022–present
Chairman of the Board of Management
He also ran Porsche AG alongside the group role until Michael Leiters took over as Porsche CEO on January 1, 2026, leaving Blume focused on Volkswagen Group.
Source
Timeline: Berkshire Hathaway and Volkswagen 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.
1937Volkswagen
Volkswagen founded
Volkswagen was founded under the German Labour Front as part of a state-directed people's car program.
1945Volkswagen
Wolfsburg restarted
British military administration helped restart peacetime production at Wolfsburg after World War II.
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.
1965Volkswagen
Audi foundation added
Volkswagen acquired Auto Union from Daimler-Benz, creating the foundation for modern Audi.
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.
1974Volkswagen
Golf production begins
The Golf gave Volkswagen a modern front-engine, front-wheel-drive compact platform after the Beetle era.
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.
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.
2010Berkshire Hathaway
BNSF Railway Acquired
Berkshire completes its purchase of Burlington Northern Santa Fe in the first quarter of 2010.
2012Volkswagen
Porsche consolidated
Porsche became a controlled sport-luxury profit anchor within Volkswagen Group.
2015Volkswagen
Matthias Müller becomes CEO
Matthias Müller became CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft in 2015. Chief executive of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft from 2015 to 2018.
2015Volkswagen
Emissions Scandal
US regulators accused Volkswagen in September 2015 of fitting diesel cars with software that cheated emissions tests.
2016Berkshire Hathaway
Precision Castparts Acquired
Berkshire completes the purchase of Precision Castparts, an aerospace and industrial components maker, for $235 a share in cash.
2018Berkshire Hathaway
Abel and Jain Named Vice Chairmen
Berkshire's board expands from twelve to fourteen directors and elects Greg Abel and Ajit Jain.
2018Volkswagen
Herbert Diess becomes CEO
Herbert Diess became CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft in 2018. Chief executive of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft from 2018 to 2022.
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.
2022Volkswagen
Oliver Blume becomes chairman
Oliver Blume became chairman of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft in 2022. He also ran Porsche AG alongside the group role until Michael Leiters took over as Porsche CEO on January 1, 2026, leaving Blume focused on Volkswagen Group.
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.
2024Volkswagen
Rivian software joint venture
Volkswagen and Rivian launched a software joint venture targeting next-generation electrical architecture.
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.
2025Volkswagen
Revenue reaches ~$364B (EUR321.9B)
Volkswagen reported ~$364 billion (EUR321.9 billion) in sales revenue, ~$10.1 billion (EUR8.9 billion) in operating result, and 8.984 million deliveries.
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.
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
Volkswagen
- Porsche AG2012Undisclosed
- Bentley Motors1998Undisclosed
- Auto Union / Audi1965Undisclosed
Questions about Berkshire Hathaway vs Volkswagen
Who is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is led by Greg Abel and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is led by Oliver Blume. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Berkshire Hathaway Inc. founded vs Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. was founded in 1839 — 98 years before Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, which was founded in 1937. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft.
How many employees does Berkshire Hathaway Inc. have compared to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. employs approximately 387,800 people, while Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft employs approximately 663,000. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft has the larger workforce at 663,000 employees, compared to Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s 387,800. 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 Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft headquartered?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is headquartered in United States and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is headquartered in Germany. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. was founded by Oliver Chace, Warren Edward Buffett. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft was founded by Ferdinand Porsche.
Which company has a longer operating history — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has been operating for approximately 187 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft has been in operation for around 89 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 Volkswagen overview