Greg Abel Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Greg Abel

Greg Abel grew up in a close-knit, working-class neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Abel spent much of his childhood playing hockey with neighbourhood friends almost every day and coming home when it was time for dinner.

Before his birth, his mother worked as a legal assistant and later chose to stay home to raise the family, while his father built a career in sales.

Growing up, Greg took on small jobs such as handing out flyers and collecting refundable glass bottles to earn his own money. He later worked as a labourer for a forest products company.

During his early years, he was actively involved in sports and developed a strong interest in both hockey and football.

While in high school and college, he worked at Levitt Safety, filling fire extinguishers. The company later awarded him a small scholarship to help pay for his studies at the University of Alberta.

Although Abel was always a dedicated student, hearing about the Dean’s List after his first college year motivated him to work harder and achieve more academically.

During summers in college, Abel worked for the City of Edmonton’s Parks and Recreation Department as a program planner and sports camp counsellor.

After graduating from the University of Alberta with distinction in 1984, he qualified as a certified public accountant and earned accreditation from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

He began his professional journey as a chartered accountant, working at PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Francisco.

In 1992, he moved into the energy sector by joining CalEnergy, a company focused on geothermal power generation.

In 1999, CalEnergy bought MidAmerican Energy and began operating under its name. Later that year, Berkshire Hathaway acquired a controlling stake in the company.

In January 2018, Abel became vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway for non-insurance operations and joined its board of directors.

Greg has also held several leadership and advisory positions, including serving as vice chairman of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI).

He has served as a director of companies like AEGIS Limited, Kraft Heinz, Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL), the Hockey Canada Foundation, the Mid-Iowa Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the American Football Coaches Foundation.

Greg has also contributed to higher education governance through his service as a trustee at both Duke University and Drake University.

In a May 2021 interview, Warren Buffett confirmed Greg Abel as his future successor as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He added that Abel’s work on CalEnergy’s takeover of a British utility in the 1990s showed early trust in his leadership.

In June 2022, Abel sold his one percent ownership stake in Berkshire Hathaway Energy for approximately $870 million.

In October 2022, it was reported that Abel bought 168 Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares worth about $68 million. Earlier records showed that he already owned five Class A shares and 2,363 Class B shares.

In May 2025, Warren Buffett said it was the right moment for Greg Abel to become Berkshire Hathaway’s chief executive by the end of the year.

According to the Associated Press, the timing of Warren Buffett’s retirement announcement was known only to his children. Greg Abel was not told about it beforehand.

He is the founding sponsor of Future Leaders in Action, a nonprofit that helps young people build leadership skills through child-focused organisations.
Abel is also the lead supporter of the Cornea Excellence Fund at the University of Iowa Foundation, which advances ophthalmology research.
He supports the American Football Coaches Foundation, which provides resources to high school and non-division-one college coaches so they can better mentor young athletes.