Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway and its subsidiaries engage in a number of diverse business activities, specializing in property and casualty insurance business conducted on a direct and reinsurance basis. The company's business activities include underwriting of property and casualty insurance, candy production and sales at a retail level, newspaper publishing, retailing of home furnishings, sales of encyclopedias, sales of home cleaning units, manufacture and distribution of uniforms, retail jewelry, and the manufacture, import and distribution of footwear. In the last 25 years, Berkshire Hathaway s shareholders averaged a 25 percent annual return. The company owns more than 40 subsidiaries, including GEICO Auto Insurance, Helzberg Diamonds, Nebraska Furniture Mart and See s Candies. Berkshire Hathaway maintains its headquarters in Omaha, Neb. The company's chairman of the board and chief executive officer, Warren Buffett, is one of the world's richest men and is often referred to as "The Oracle of Omaha". In 2007, Warren Buffett was listed among the 100 Most Influential People in the World, according to Time Magazine.