Meet Warren Buffett’s son Howard, a former sheriff, war photographer, and now, Berkshire’s new chairman

When Warren Buffett stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway on Friday, the job passed to his 71-year-old son who has spent most of his life doing things that look nothing like his father’s.

Howard Graham Buffett farmed thousands of acres, carried a badge as an elected sheriff, photographed war zones and endangered species across more than 100 countries, and runs a foundation with over $1 billion committed to conflict-affected regions like Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He’s received the highest honor for foreign citizens from the governments of Mexico, Colombia and Rwanda, all for his foundation’s work in each country.

And now, he’s chairing a trillion-dollar conglomerate.

A sheriff and a farmer Howard’s been a Berkshire director for 33 years, since 1993.

According to his dad Warren’s retirement letter, that’s longer than the “apprenticeship” he himself served before becoming Berkshire’s CEO at 34.

But Howard’s own career has run almost entirely outside finance.

He operates a 1,500-acre family farm in Pana, Illinois, plus foundation-run research farms spanning more than 1,500 acres in Arizona and over 9,200 acres in South Africa.

He’s also a vocal advocate for no-till conservation agriculture.

He’s held elected office twice: as a Douglas County, Nebraska commissioner from 1989 to 1992, and, more unusually, as Sheriff of Macon County, Illinois, from September 2017 to November 2018, after five years working as an auxiliary deputy.

And he still holds a position today: he still serves as the county’s undersheriff.

Separately, he’s built a body of published photography from conflict zones—including the front lines of the Ukraine war —and wildlife habitats across roughly 130 countries, authoring several books along the way.

Most of the work was tied directly to his foundation’s focus on food security, conservation and humanitarian response in unstable regions.

His role at Berkshire Greg Abel, who took over as CEO in January, will continue running Berkshire’s operations day to day.