Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel deployed approximately $39.4 billion into equity purchases in the first six months of 2026, more than five times the $7.1 billion invested in the same period of 2025 under Warren Buffett, marking a sharp break from Buffett’s late-era cash buildup. Abel took over on January 1, 2026, after Buffett retired on December 31, 2025, inheriting nearly $397 billion in cash and equivalents by the end of the first quarter after 14 consecutive quarters of net equity selling. In the second quarter of 2026, Berkshire became a net buyer of stocks for the first time in more than three years, adding $23.5 billion in marketable equities and executing share buybacks of roughly $4.2 billion to $4.5 billion. Alphabet was the centerpiece: the stake more than tripled in the first quarter and rose by about $17 billion in the second quarter, including a $10 billion private placement, taking the holding to roughly $36.6 billion and Berkshire’s third-largest equity position. Abel has called Google a significant artificial intelligence player and linked the thesis to AI benefits visible inside Berkshire’s operating businesses, while a federal judge rejected a Justice Department push to force divestiture of Google’s AdX ad exchange, removing a major regulatory overhang. Alphabet shares advanced in pre-market trading near $337.12 as investors weighed the Berkshire endorsement and the court outcome, with Street consensus still Strong Buy and a mean price target near $425.88.