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.

• During high school, Abel decided to pursue a career in business.

• 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 2008, he was appointed chief executive officer of MidAmerican Energy.

• MidAmerican Energy was rebranded as Berkshire Hathaway Energy in 2014.

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

  Greg Abel working at Berkshire Hathaway

• 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.
  

  Jazwares CEO Judd Zebersky and president Laura Zebersky while greeting Greg Abel and Warren Buffett (right)

• In June 2022, Abel sold his 1% 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.

• Greg is known to be actively involved in youth sports activities.

• 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.