Charlie Munger Once Called Greg Abel a 'Tremendous Learning Machine' Just as Good as Warren Buffett: Here's the Quality That Left Him Impressed

Long before Greg Abel became Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s CEO, Charlie Munger had already highlighted the leadership qualities and learning ability that made him a trusted successor to Warren Buffett.

Charlie Munger Praised Greg Abel’s Leadership

Speaking at the Daily Journal Corp.’s 2023 annual shareholders meeting, Munger described Abel as an exceptional leader who could combine strategic thinking with effective execution.

"Greg is just sensational at being a business leader both as a thinker and as a doer," Munger said.

He also praised Abel’s ability to accomplish goals through other people, calling him "very remarkable" and saying Berkshire was "very lucky to have him."

Munger especially noted Abel’s ability to keep learning. He called him a "tremendous learning machine" and said it was reasonable to argue that Abel was "just as good as Warren at learning all kinds of things."

Warren Buffett Trusted Greg Abel

Munger said Abel also possessed abilities that Buffett did not and the latter understood that.

"There are some things he’s better at than Warren is," Munger said, adding that Buffett would give Abel responsibility for areas where he was stronger.

That approach, Munger suggested, helped Berkshire’s management system work effectively by letting executives focus on their strengths.

Greg Abel’s Golden Rule for Business

Munger also pointed to Abel’s relationship with insurance and utility regulators as an example of his management philosophy.

He said Abel tried to operate utilities "as if he were the regulator," essentially considering how a decision would look from the other side of a transaction.

When asked whether that was simply an effort to show good faith, Munger offered a broader principle.

"Why not do it the way that you wanted done if you were on the other side of the transaction?" he said, adding, "If you treat other people well … it’s the golden rule; of course, it works."

Abel’s Berkshire Hathaway Rise, Career and $1 Billion Fortune

Abel became Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO in January 2026, leading the conglomerate behind businesses including Geico, Duracell and Dairy Queen.

Born in Canada, Abel started his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers before joining an energy company that later became Berkshire Hathaway Energy. He became Berkshire’s vice chairman overseeing non-insurance operations and joined its board in 2018.

Abel owns less than 1% of Berkshire’s stock. Much of his wealth came from selling his roughly 1% stake in Berkshire Hathaway Energy to Berkshire for $870 million before taxes in 2022. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1 billion.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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