Buffett Leaves Berkshire Chair, but Apple and Alphabet Anchor Its AI Exposure

Warren Buffett stepped down as Berkshire Hathaway’s chairman on September 18, completing a leadership handoff at the conglomerate. Its latest disclosed stock portfolio includes about $66 billion of Apple and $37.8 billion of Alphabet, two holdings tied to different sides of artificial intelligence.

The positions represented roughly 32% of Berkshire’s $323.8 billion U.S.-listed equity portfolio at June 30, based on the company’s latest quarterly filing. That snapshot came before Buffett’s departure from the chairmanship.

Apple was Berkshire’s largest publicly traded stock holding, with 227.9 million shares. Its AI case is less about selling computing hardware than about putting AI services in front of users through its large base of devices.

Alphabet, Google’s parent, gives Berkshire a more direct stake in AI models, cloud computing and data-center infrastructure. Berkshire increased its Alphabet holding by 83% in the second quarter, to nearly 106 million shares, according to Reuters’ review of the filing.

That investment also carries a risk: AI-powered search could change how people find information and put pressure on the advertising business that supports Google. Apple, meanwhile, must show that its AI features can keep its device ecosystem valuable as rivals develop their own tools.

Buffett is now chairman emeritus and remains on Berkshire’s board. His son, Howard Buffett, became chairman, while Greg Abel, who took over as CEO in January, leads the company.

The leadership change does not mean Buffett had no role in the Alphabet bet. He told CNBC the investment idea was his, while Berkshire’s latest annual report says major capital-allocation decisions now rest with Abel.

Investors will get a clearer picture of Berkshire’s next moves in its next portfolio filing. The key question is whether it keeps adding to Alphabet or shifts its exposure as Abel sets the company’s investment priorities.