Warren Buffett News

Buffett Helps Ireland’s Vhi Insurance Avoid Bailout with $99M Subordinated Loan

Irish state-owned health insurer Vhi Insurance DAC borrowed money from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. to help avoid a bailout as the company comes under central bank regulation for the first time. Berkshire gave Vhi a 90 million-euro [$97.6 million) …

Allianz: Hedge Funds Are Opportunity for Insurance Industry, Not Threat

Chris Fischer Hirs, the head of Allianz SE’s specialty insurance business, said he welcomes the growing participation of Wall Street in the insurance industry as an opportunity, not a threat. “Hedge funds bring capacity to the market,” Fischer Hirs said …

Buffett Donates Record $2.84 Billion to Gates Foundation, Family Charities

Warren Buffett on Monday donated about $2.84 billion of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. stock to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and four family charities, as part of the billionaire’s plan to give away nearly all of his wealth. The 10th …

China’s Fosun International to Acquire Phoenix Holdings From Israel’s Delek

Delek Group Ltd. agreed to sell its controlling stake in Phoenix Holdings Ltd., Israel’s fourth- largest insurance provider by market value, to China’s Fosun International Ltd. The Netanya, Israel-based holding company announced on Sunday it would sell its entire 52 …

Berkshire Hathaway to Buy Stake in IAG to Boost Australia Insurance Sales

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. will pay A$500 million ($388 million) for a stake in Insurance Australia Group Ltd. as part of a plan to expand in the region. The agreement will give Berkshire 20 percent of IAG’s insurance premium …

Geithner Asked Buffett for Opinion on AIG Before 2008 Bailout

Billionaire Warren Buffett said he gave an appraisal of American International Group Inc. to Timothy Geithner, then the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, just before it rescued AIG in 2008. Geithner asked “was there enough in …

Berkshire Hathaway Stock Passes $200,000 Mark

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s share price on Thursday surpassed and closed above $200,000 for the first time, the latest milestone for a company that Warren Buffett has built over nearly five decades into what some analysts view as a microcosm of …

Best Affirms Ratings of National Indemnity, Other Berkshire Hathaway Units

A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A++’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aaa” of National Indemnity Company and its affiliates, and the FSR of ‘A’- (Excellent) and ICR of “a-” of Finial Reinsurance Co., …

Speculation on Buffett’s Successor Heats Up Before Berkshire Annual Meeting

Two years ago, Warren Buffett, then 81, announced that the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. board had chosen his successor as chief executive officer. The board, he said, also had two backups, but all three names were to remain a secret. This …

Buffett Says Rail Industry Concerned Over Oil Transport Safety

Warren Buffett, chairman of conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, said on Wednesday that safety is a major priority for the rail industry, after a recent spate of accidents raised concerns about how to transport oil safely. “I can tell you that’s all …