Berkshire Hathaway BRK.A

Berkshire Hathaway, founded in 1839 by a group of textile mill enthusiasts and improbably transformed into a financial behemoth by Warren Buffett, is the investment world's most extravagant showcase of how to make money while seeming to do almost nothing. Initially a failed textile mill, it was resurrected by Buffett in 1965, who pivoted the company into a conglomerate with a voracious appetite for undervalued assets. Known for its eclectic portfolio ranging from insurance to railroads to candy, Berkshire Hathaway is the ultimate financial chameleon, embodying Buffett’s golden rule: buy cheap and don’t screw it up. Despite its gleaming reputation and the adoration of fans who worship Buffett like some kind of investment oracle, the firm has had its share of missteps and controversies, including investments in companies like Kraft Heinz that have underperformed. Valued at over $800 billion, its stock trades as if it were infused with magic rather than mere mortal strategy. With Buffett’s right-hand man Charlie Munger and his heir apparent Greg Abel now helming the ship, Berkshire Hathaway continues to straddle the line between Wall Street icon and idiosyncratic oddity, proving that in the world of finance, some legends never truly retire.