Getty Images Chair and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and investor extraordinaire Warren Buffett has publicly named his successor should 'something have to happen' to him Buffett named Greg Abel, a Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman While Buffett hasn't given an indication that he was relinquishing his time at the helm, analysts don't expect the 90-year-old to step down for at least five years Replacing the irreplaceable Warren Buffett won’t be easy. But that’s the path ahead for Greg Abel, a Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman who was publicly identified as the successor to America’s most renowned investor for the first time on Monday. Buffett said the 58-year-old executive will take over the $630 billion business when he steps down.