Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A) (NYSE: BRK-B), headed by CEO Warren Buffett, recently announced the acquisition of Alleghany Corporation (NYSE:Y), a property and casualty insurance company in a deal worth $11.6 billion, at $842.02 per share.
The acquisition is the largest that Berkshire has made since 2016, but ranks behind its previous $37-billion acquisition of Precision Castparts.
The famed investor is known for taking rather large stakes in companies he feels are undervalued, but shares of common stock isn’t the end of the line for Buffett.
Apart from purchasing millions of shares in innovative companies, Berkshire has completed 54 acquisitions worth nearly $242.76 billion since Buffett took the helm in 1970.
Here is a list of notable companies owned by Berkshire:
GEICO - The green gecko became a part of the Berkshire umbrella in 1995, when Berkshire purchased the company for $2.76 billion.
Helzberg Diamonds - Berkshire purchased Helzberg in 1995, paid in class-A stock worth around $433 million at the time.
Dairy Queen - Buffett completed the purchase of Dairy Queen in 1997 for $585 million in a mix of cash and class-A stock.
See’s Candies - Berkshire purchased See’s Candy in 1972 for $25 million.
Benjamin Moore Paint - In 2000, Berkshire announced its acquisition of Benjamin Moore for $1 billion, at $37.82 per share.
Fruit of The Loom - Berkshire purchased Fruit of the Loom in 2001 for $835 million in cash.
Pampered Chef - Completed in 2002, Berkshire purchased Pampered Chef for a reported $900 million.
Duracell - Berkshire purchased the battery maker in 2014 for $4.7 billion.
Precision Castparts - Completed in 2015, Berkshire purchased Precision for $37.2 billion.
H.J Heinz - Berkshire purchased 50% of Heinz in 2013 for $12.25 billion in a move that Buffett later called "too expensive."
Original publication: March, 2022.
