Howard Buffett
About Howard Buffett
Howard G. Buffett (age 70) has served as a director of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. since 1993. He is Chairman and CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation (since 1999) and previously served as Sheriff of Macon County, Illinois (Sept 2017–Dec 2018). The proxy describes his credentials as a small business owner, past senior executive of a public corporation, former director of other public corporations, and a leader of a large charitable foundation .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County (IL) | Sheriff | Sep 2017–Dec 2018 | Law enforcement leadership |
| Public corporation (unspecified) | Senior executive | Not disclosed | Prior operating and governance experience |
| The Coca-Cola Company | Director | Dec 2010–Apr 2017 | Board oversight at major consumer company |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard G. Buffett Foundation | Chairman & CEO | Since 1999 | Humanitarian and conservation focus |
| Various charitable organizations | Board member | Current | Multiple non-profit boards (names not disclosed) |
Board Governance
- Independence status: Not independent under NYSE/SEC standards due to being Warren E. Buffett’s child .
- Committee assignments: Not listed on Audit Committee (Decker, Davis, Weitz, Witmer) or Governance, Compensation & Nominating Committee (Burke, Chenault, Guyman, Murphy Jr.); no chair roles disclosed .
- Attendance: “Each then current director attended all meetings of the Board and of the Committees of the Board on which he or she served” in 2024 and 2023 .
- Independent sessions: Three meetings of independent directors were held in 2024 and in 2023 .
- Lead independent director: Susan L. Decker; independent director communications generally limited to the annual Q&A prior to the shareholder meeting .
- Risk oversight context: Audit Committee oversees risk policies; full Board retains risk oversight; Berkshire’s CEO (Warren Buffett) is identified as chief risk officer .
Fixed Compensation
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Director fees (cash) | $2,700 | $2,700 |
Director fee policy (applies to non-employee/non-spouse directors):
- $900 per meeting attended in person; $300 per telephonic meeting .
- Audit Committee members receive $1,000 quarterly .
- Directors reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses; Company does not provide directors and officers liability insurance .
Performance Compensation
- Berkshire does not grant equity to directors; the disclosed director compensation table shows cash fees only (no RSUs, PSUs, options, or stock awards) .
- No meeting-based equity, retention grants, or option awards for directors are disclosed; no director stock option or equity vesting schedules are present .
- No director-specific clawbacks, tax gross-ups, severance, or change-of-control terms disclosed in the proxy .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Status | Tenure | Potential Interlock/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Coca-Cola Company | Former public company director | Dec 2010–Apr 2017 | Berkshire is a significant investor in Coca-Cola; tenure ended in 2017 |
- Current public company directorships: None disclosed for Howard G. Buffett in 2025 proxy .
- Private/non-profit boards: Multiple charitable boards (names not disclosed) .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Owner-oriented mindset and significant Berkshire shareholding expected of directors; selection emphasizes integrity, business savvy, interest in Berkshire, and meaningful investment over at least three years .
- Experience spans small business ownership, prior public company senior executive roles, public company board service (Coca-Cola), and leadership of a large charitable foundation .
- Law enforcement leadership experience as county sheriff adds operational oversight perspective .
Equity Ownership
| Metric | Mar 6, 2024 | Mar 5, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Class A shares beneficially owned | 660 (includes 650 Class A shares held by a private foundation; disclaimed beneficial interest) | 370 (includes 360 Class A shares held by a private foundation; disclaimed beneficial interest) |
| Class B shares beneficially owned | 2,450 | 2,450 |
| % of Class A outstanding | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| % of Class B outstanding | <0.1% | <0.1% |
| % aggregate voting power (A+B) | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Notes:
- Beneficial ownership includes shares over which the holder has voting/investment power; foundation-held shares are disclaimed as beneficial interest .
- Each Class A share converts into 1,500 Class B shares (not included in beneficial totals to avoid overstatement) .
Governance Assessment
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Strengths: Long tenured director (since 1993) with broad governance exposure; full attendance; owner-oriented selection criteria; meaningful personal and foundation-related share holdings align with Berkshire’s emphasis on director-shareholder alignment .
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Concerns/RED FLAGS: Not independent due to family relationship; absence from standing committees (Audit; Governance/Compensation/Nominating) limits formal oversight roles; minimal cash compensation and lack of equity-based director pay means alignment relies on personal share ownership rather than structured ownership guidelines; no D&O insurance may impact board risk appetite .
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Attendance & engagement: Board actions occurred at the annual meeting and two special meetings in 2024, plus three independent director sessions; full attendance by all directors indicates engagement consistency .
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Related-party considerations: Family ties to Warren E. Buffett; no Howard-specific related-party transactions disclosed; Board-level related-party legal services disclosed for Ronald L. Olson’s firm (not directly tied to Howard) .
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Overall implication for investors: Howard G. Buffett’s tenure and share ownership support continuity and an owner-oriented culture, but his non-independence and absence from key committees reduce his direct involvement in compensation, nomination, and audit oversight—investors should weigh family influence versus Berkshire’s strong track record of board attendance and risk oversight centralized with the full Board and Audit Committee .