Berkshire Hathaway’s new CEO Greg Abel “moves quickly,” marking an early shift from Warren Buffett’s pace

Greg Abel, the man now running Berkshire Hathaway after Warren Buffett’s long stewardship, is starting to leave fingerprints on how the conglomerate moves. A new deal cycle at Berkshire has highlighted a practical difference in style, according to an account relayed by CNBC: Abel moved swiftly toward a major acquisition, and in at least one key moment, Berkshire kept the broader board out of the loop until after the transaction was finished.

The deal was Berkshire Hathaway’s $6.8 billion acquisition of Taylor Morrison Home, a residential homebuilder and developer with operations in 12 states. Taylor Morrison’s CEO, Sheryl Palmer, described the transaction as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” tied to Berkshire’s platform of operating companies that build homes, with a focus on first-time buyers, rather than a purely financial play.

According to the CNBC reporting, Buffett told CNBC host Becky Quick that Abel’s execution mirrored what Buffett liked about deals when he was leading. Buffett was quoted saying Abel did the transaction “faster than I could have done it, smoother than I could have done it,” adding that Buffett “never talked to the CEO.” The implication, in Buffett’s telling, was that Abel brought a deal momentum that resembled Buffett’s own willingness to act when he saw the right fit.

CNBC also described the practical mechanics behind the speed. Abel reportedly spent around five hours with Palmer in Arizona, but when he returned, she said he did not think he had a deal. The conversation then shifted, and Palmer later called to say the price was fair and her board was ready to proceed, suggesting Abel did not rush to a conclusion even as he moved quickly through early diligence and discussions.

One point that stands out for observers of Berkshire’s corporate culture is governance timing. CNBC reported that Abel spoke with Buffett and Berkshire’s lead director Sue Decker, but that “the rest of the board” was not informed until after the deal had been completed. In the same segment, Becky Quick quoted Buffett’s general view that Berkshire’s approach often involves moving quickly on decisions when leadership believes the path is clear.

Berkshire Hathaway is unusual among large corporations because it has traditionally operated with strong centralized approval and a long-standing emphasis on “staying with what works.” Even with that structure, the company’s acquisition record under Buffett largely reflected a personal rhythm: frequent internal skepticism, then decisive action when conviction was high. Abel has been on the inside for years, running large parts of Berkshire’s operating and insurance-related efforts before becoming CEO, so the transition is less about changing business fundamentals and more about how fast consensus forms and when it is shared.

The early takeaway from the Taylor Morrison transaction is that Abel may be pushing for a deal cadence that tolerates late-stage board awareness, while still maintaining consultation with the top decision makers. Berkshire did not provide additional detail in the Motley Fool post referenced by this report, and it is not clear from the available reporting whether the same approach will be used in future deals or whether the Taylor Morrison timing was a one-off response to specific negotiations.

What to watch next is whether this faster, more concentrated pathway becomes a pattern across Berkshire’s acquisition pipeline, especially as the company continues to weigh using cash and other capital for industrial and financial investments. Investors and other stakeholders may also look for any changes in how Berkshire communicates deal progress in real time, since governance timing can affect how quickly outside parties gain visibility into management’s conviction.