TIMELINE
Longest reigning CEOs … in the
S & P 500
Warren Buffet leads the charge as the longestserving active Chief Executive among publicly traded companies in the United States – with more than 50 years under his executive belt
DID YOU KNOW …? Richard Fain stepped down after 33 years as CEO of Royal Caribbean in November 2021 , while in December , First Republic CEO James Herbert departed on medical leave after 35 years at the helm .
1970 1985
51 YEARS Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway Inc .
In 2020 , billionaire investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett became the longest-tenured CEO in the S & P500 following the step-down of Les Wexner as CEO of L Brands . Known as the ‘ Oracle of Omaha ’, Buffett , 90 , took control of textile maker Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 , and turned the now US $ 700bn Hathaway into a holding company that buys up troubled businesses and turns them around . A passionate philanthropist , he has pledged commit 85 % of his wealth to charity .
37 YEARS Stephen Schwarzman Blackstone
Stephen Schwarzman made a name for himself in M & A at Lehman Brothers before co-founding Blackstone , which he has led to become the world ’ s largest private equity firm by capital commitments with more than US $ 88bn AUM . In both business and philanthropy , Schwarzman , 75 , has dedicated himself to tackling big problems with transformative solutions . A graduate of Yale and Harvard , he is a New York Times bestseller , and topped Forbes list of most influential people in finance .
14 September 2022