Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway NYSE: BRKa is a company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies.

Berkshire Affiliates include Borsheim's Fine Jewelry, an enormous Omaha jewelry store; Nebraska Furniture Mart; The Pampered Chef; See's Candies; Helzberg Diamonds stores; H.H. Brown shoes; The Buffalo News; Benjamin Moore paints; clothing manufacturer Fruit of the Loom; vacuum cleaner manufacturer Kirby Corporation; and several insurance companies such as GEICO and General Re. In 1998 Berkshire Hathaway purchased Dairy Queen.

Formerly a textile company, it was taken over by Warren Buffett in the 1960s, but its textile venture did not succeed.

However, many of the investments Buffett made were spectacularly successful, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. Although Buffett retains a controlling stake in the company, it has thousands of shareholders, and these investors often are very interested and involved in the running of the business. Berkshire Hathaway holds yearly meetings that are heavily attended by these investors, many of them families. It has been called the "Capitalist Woodstock".

As of 2005, Buffett owns 38% of Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire's Vice-Chairman Charlie Munger also holds a stake big enough for him to be considered a billionaire in his own right.

Berkshire Hathaway is notable in that it never allows its shares to split. Each share is thus worth tens of thousands of dollars. However, Berkshire Hathaway has created a Class B stock, with a price set to 1/30 of that of the original shares (now Class A) but 1/200 of the per-share voting rights. Holders of Class A stock are allowed to convert their stock to Class B, though not vice versa.

Buffett was reluctant to create the Class B shares, but did so to thwart the creation of unit trusts that would have marketed themselves as Berkshire look-alikes. As Buffett said in his 1995 shareholder letter:

"The unit trusts that have recently surfaced fly in the face of these goals. They would be sold by brokers working for big commissions, would impose other burdensome costs on their shareholders, and would be marketed en masse to unsophisticated buyers, apt to be seduced by our past record and beguiled by the publicity Berkshire and I have received in recent years. The sure outcome: a multitude of investors destined to be disappointed."

Contents
1 Quick facts
2 Holdings
2.1 Subsidiaries related to insurance and finance
2.2 Other subsidiaries
2.3 Companies with a "beneficial owner" relationship
3 External links
3.1 Company website
3.2 Data
3.3 Articles

Quick facts
Common stock investments market value at the end of 2004: $37,717 million
Total shareholders’ equity at the end of 2004: $85,900 million

Holdings
Main article: List of assets owned by Berkshire Hathaway

Subsidiaries related to insurance and finance
General Re
Geico
Kansas Bankers Surety Insurance Company
National Indemnity Company
Wesco Financial Corporation

Other subsidiaries
Borsheim's Fine Jewelry
Dairy Queen
Fruit of the Loom
Nebraska Furniture Mart
The Pampered Chef
See's Candies
World Book
NetJets

Companies with a "beneficial owner" relationship
This includes some of the companies where a Berkshire Hathaway stake is 5% or more of the outstanding stock, as reported in the last proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the latest annual report.

In order of percentage stake:

The Washington Post Company (18.1%)
Moody’s Corporation (16.2%)
American Express (12.1%)
The Gillette Company (9.5%)
H&R Block, Inc (8.7%)
Coca-Cola (8.3%)

Berkshire berkshire Hathaway NYSE:
BRKa is airline a company locations headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, berkshire USA, that oversees and manages a number berkshire of subsidiary companies.

Berkshire Affiliates include Borsheim's Fine berkshire Jewelry, an homestate enormous 10k Omaha companies jewelry store; Nebraska Furniture berkshire berkshire Mart; The Pampered Chef; See's hathaway invest Candies; Helzberg company Diamonds stores; H.H. Brown ceo shoes; The
berkshire Buffalo News; Benjamin Moore hathaway paints; clothing manufacturer Fruit of the
Loom; vacuum cleaner hoovers hathaway manufacturer Kirby Corporation; and several
insurance companies charter
such as GEICO and subsidiary General Re. In 1998
Berkshire Hathaway purchased Dairy Queen.

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However, many of the investments
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very interested and involved in the running of the business. Berkshire Hathaway holds yearly meetings that are heavily attended hathaway by these hathaway investors, many of them families. It has been called companies hathaway the "Capitalist Woodstock".

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"The
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berkshire hathaway inc

Quick berkshire pension facts

Common stock stock investments market and value annual at the inc end berkshire of 2004: $37,berkshire 717 million
Total berkshire shareholders’ equity at the end of 2004: $85,900 million

Holdings

Main article: List of assets owned by Berkshire Hathaway

Subsidiaries related berkshire to
price insurance and finance
General Re
hathaway Geico
Kansas Bankers Surety Insurance of Company
National Indemnity Company
Wesco Financial meeting Corporation

Other
subsidiaries
Borsheim's Fine Jewelry
Dairy
Queen

Fruit berkshire hathaway of the Loom
Nebraska Furniture Mart
The Pampered Chef
hathaway berkshire See's hathaway Candies
World Book
hathaway NetJets

Companies with a "beneficial berkshire owner" relationship
This includes some of the berkshire companies where a Berkshire Hathaway hathaway stake is 5% or buyout more berkshire hathaway mutual funds of the outstanding stock, as reported in the last berkshire proxy how do i buy berkshire hathaway stock statement locations filed sap with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the latest annual report.

home hathaway In order of percentage berkshire
stock stake:

The Washington berkshire Post n.a Company (18.1%)
loom Moody’s Corporation (16. 2%)
American Express (12.1%)
The Gillette hathaway Company (9.5%)
H&R
Block, Inc (8.buy 7%)
Coca-Cola (hathaway hathaway 8.home 3%)
hathaway

Information provided by Wikipedia.