Will Berkshire Hathaway Finally Embrace Bitcoin After Warren Buffett?

Key Insights

• Berkshire Hathaway is preparing for a leadership transition as Warren Buffett prepares to step down by year-end.
• Charlie Munger, the late vice chairman of Berkshire, and Warren Buffett, its current CEO, have publicly named Abel as Buffett’s successor.
• Warren Buffett famously dislikes cryptocurrencies and has been vocal about it over the years.
• Speculators generally believe that Abel is likely to maintain Warren Buffett’s outlook until otherwise proven.
• However, it is worth noting that if he does choose crypto, he will have both the tools and the trust to do so.

Berkshire Hathaway is preparing for a leadership transition as Warren Buffett prepares to step down.

As a result, all eyes are on Greg Abel, the man Warren Buffett has chosen to succeed him.

Abel is known for his calm demeanor, operational expertise and decades of business leadership.

With such a man preparing to take over one of the world’s largest investment firms in January, the question is:

Does Greg Abel dislike Bitcoin as much as Warren Buffet did?

From Energy Executive to Buffett’s Right Hand

Greg Abel, aged 62, started his career in the energy sector. He was born in Canada and graduated from the University of Alberta before working at MidAmerican Energy.

MidAmerican Energy in this case, is a utility company that became part of the Berkshire family in 1999.

Abel has risen quickly through the ranks in the last few decades, and eventually became CEO of the rebranded Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

In fact, Charlie Munger, the late vice chairman of Berkshire, publicly named Abel as Buffett’s successor at the 2021 shareholder meeting.

Since being identified as Buffett’s heir apparent, Abel has worked behind the scenes, and might be focused on proving himself before and after becoming CEO.

Overall, Abel is known for his discipline, strategic thinking and no-nonsense approach.

Which begs the question:

Will Abel Warm Up to Bitcoin?

One of the biggest unknowns as Abel prepares to take over is his stance on Bitcoin and crypto.

Warren Buffett famously dislikes cryptocurrencies and has been vocal about it over the years. He even reportedly called Bitcoin “rat poison squared” at one time, and warned of a “bad ending” for the entire asset class.

Under Buffett’s leadership, Berkshire has completely avoided direct investment in crypto.

However, the company did make a substantial investment in Nu Holdings, which is a Brazilian digital bank that offers crypto services.

This $750 million investment has been viewed ever since, as some quiet acknowledgment that the future of finance may be more digital than Berkshire let on.

Still, Abel has yet to publicly express any opinion on Bitcoin or other cryptos.

That silence has been the source of much speculation because commentators continue to wonder:

Will he stick with Buffett’s distaste for crypto or steer the company in a new direction?

Speculators generally believe the former to be more likely, as Abel is likely to maintain the current outlook, until otherwise proven.

In short, unless Abel announces a more open approach to crypto, investors should expect Berkshire’s position to remain conservative.

$347 Billion in Cash

More than the crypto question, Abel is also expected to inherit a massive war chest. As of May 2025, Berkshire Hathaway sits on a record $347.7 billion in cash and short-term investments, with much of it parked in U.S. Treasury bills.

This massive reserve gives Abel a great deal of flexibility as he steps into his new role. While most operating companies try to minimize idle cash, Berkshire’s structure is held up by a highly profitable insurance business.

This allows the company to accumulate and hold cash while waiting for the right opportunities.

“The important thing is to keep the cash out of the market until the time is right,” said Tim Koller, corporate finance expert and co-author of Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies.

This strategy has served Berkshire well under Buffett, and many believe Abel will continue down that line.

Overall, whether Abel deploys this capital into acquisitions, public equities, infrastructure, or crypto remains to be seen.

However, it is worth noting that if he does choose crypto, he will have both the tools and the trust to do so.

Disclaimer: Voice of Crypto aims to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, but it will not be responsible for any missing facts or inaccurate information. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile financial assets, so research and make your own financial decisions.