When Warren Buffett stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway on Friday, the job passed to his 71-year-old son who has spent most of his life doing things that look nothing like his father’s.

Howard Graham Buffett farmed thousands of acres, carried a badge as an elected sheriff, photographed war zones and endangered species across more than 100 countries, and runs a foundation with over $1 billion committed to conflict-affected regions like Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He’s received the highest honor for foreign citizens from the governments of Mexico, Colombia and Rwanda, all for his foundation’s work in each country.

And now, he’s chairing a trillion-dollar conglomerate.

A sheriff and a farmer
Howard’s been a Berkshire director for 33 years, since 1993. According to his dad Warren’s retirement letter, that’s longer than the “apprenticeship” he himself served before becoming Berkshire’s CEO at 34.

But Howard’s own career has run almost entirely outside finance. He operates a 1,500-acre family farm in Pana, Illinois, plus foundation-run research farms spanning more than 1,500 acres in Arizona and over 9,200 acres in South Africa. He’s also a vocal advocate for no-till conservation agriculture.

He’s held elected office twice: as a Douglas County, Nebraska commissioner from 1989 to 1992, and, more unusually, as Sheriff of Macon County, Illinois, from September 2017 to November 2018, after five years working as an auxiliary deputy. And he still holds a position today: he still serves as the county’s undersheriff.

Separately, he’s built a body of published photography from conflict zones—including the front lines of the Ukraine war—and wildlife habitats across roughly 130 countries, authoring several books along the way. Most of the work was tied directly to his foundation’s focus on food security, conservation and humanitarian response in unstable regions.

His role at Berkshire
Greg Abel, who took over as CEO in January, will continue running Berkshire’s operations day to day. Howard’s role, as Warren Buffett described it in Friday’s letter, is different: “Greg runs the company; Howard will guard its culture and values—both worth more than anything on our balance sheet.”

He continued: “Think of Howard as a policy the shareholders own and hope never to claim against.”

That’s nothing new and instead, has been part of Berkshire’s succession planning for years. Howard isn’t expected to weigh in on capital allocation or acquisitions. Rather, Abel has already shown he’ll move fast, already deploying $10 billion into Alphabet and paying $6.8 billion to acquire homebuilder Taylor Morrison within his first year (for a total enterprise value of $8.5 billion).

Instead, Howard’s job is to serve as a check against any future leadership that might try to unwind what makes Berkshire unusual: its buy-and-hold investment stance and the autonomy it gives the businesses it owns.

Former Yahoo President Susan Decker will continue as lead independent director, serving with Howard as well as his father, who remains on the board.

Giving away the fortune
Howard is also one of three siblings—alongside Susie and Peter—responsible for distributing most of Warren Buffett’s remaining fortune, listed at $145 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Their father has said he abandoned earlier plans for a single sweeping philanthropic strategy in favor of handing the decisions to his children’s own foundations, which now distribute roughly $500 million a year combined.

Howard has spoken about the limits of that kind of giving. In a January conversation with CNBC with his siblings, he pointed to countries like Congo and Sudan, where he said funding alone can’t fix poverty if the rule of law has broken down.

“There’s a lot of things you can fund that will go nowhere,” he said. “If you’re not addressing the real issue of rule of law then you just can’t have success.”

By Felix Umande

Courage has a new name in Osun State — Alagbe Hezekiah, a38-year-old tanker driver and proud indigene of Ogbomoso, whose singular act of bravery averted what could have been a catastrophic tragedy.

On Thursday, September 17, 2026, disaster loomed at Feesu Junction, along the Iwo-Ibadan Expressway, opposite Lado Filling Station in Iwo, Osun State.

Hezekiah had gone to supply diesel at the filling station. The hose had already been connected to offload the content when fire suddenly erupted from the truck. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

According to him, he and his motor boy immediately tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, but the inferno was beyond control and was spreading fast toward the filling station, nearby shops and residential buildings. His apprentice fled in panic.

At that moment, Hezekiah made a decision that only a true hero could make.

Instead of running for his own life, he jumped into the burning tanker and drove it out of the filling station, away from the crowd, away from fuel pumps, away from lives and property.

“I thought of what I can do to avert putting lives of many and properties at risk. I drove the vehicle out of the petrol station. I scanned the area for where there are no people living. I decided to drive to a riverbank where there will be no casualties,” he recounted.

“I took the bold step with the conviction that I may survive or be consumed and die with the incident. However, sacrificing my life to save properties and other people’s lives would be better than risking others with the incident.”

He drove the flaming tanker until he got to a safe, uninhabited riverbank area where he detached the head of the truck from the burning tank, preventing the fire from spreading further.

Eyewitnesses at Odo-Ori Market said if he had not acted fast, the entire Feesu Junction, which is surrounded by filling stations, businesses and homes, would have gone up in flames. No life was lost.

Hezekiah, who has been driving tankers since 2004 with over 22 years of experience, said he had never encountered such a situation before.

He has since been hailed across Nigeria as “The Best Driver of the Year” and a true definition of courage, selflessness and professionalism.

The hero also used the opportunity to appeal to the Oyo and Osun State Governments to fix deplorable roads and to advise fellow tanker drivers to always put safety and human life first.

By Felix Umande

The Federal Government has inaugurated the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for the commemoration of Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, with emphasis on reflecting on the enduring legacies of the founding fathers.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting on Thursday, September 17, 2026, in Abuja, the Chairman of the Committee and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, CON, said the anniversary provides an opportunity for Nigerians to reflect on the contributions, sacrifices and enduring legacies of the nation’s founding fathers and heroines who worked for independence from colonial rule.

The SGF, who was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office (PEAO), Mrs. Bekearedebo Augusta Warrens, noted that the achievements recorded since independence were built on the foundation laid by the country’s nationalists, stressing the importance of remembering their sacrifices while reflecting on the nation’s journey since October 1, 1960.

He said the anniversary would also provide an opportunity for the present administration to showcase its achievements and highlight efforts being undertaken to reposition the country through its reform initiatives, against the backdrop of socio-economic challenges.

He emphasised that activities for this year’s celebration would be low-key, while urging members of the Committee to work with urgency given the limited time before October 1.

According to him, the programme of activities will commence with a World Press Conference on Thursday, September 24, 2026; Juma’at Service on Friday, September 25; Church Service on Sunday, September 27, 2026; Independence Day Public Lecture on Wednesday, September 30, 2026; and the nationwide broadcast by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on Thursday, October 1, 2026.

The Committee comprises the SGF as Chairman, with the following as members: Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele; Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Honourable Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Barr. Nyesom Wike; Honourable Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, CON; National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman; and Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.

Other members include Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Chief Sunday Dare; Permanent Secretary, State House, Engr. Temitope Peter Fashedemi; Permanent Secretary, General Services Office (GSO), Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, mni; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Ms. Kachollom Daju, mni; Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office (CAO), Dr. John Chidiebere Ezeamama; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu; Director-General, Department of State Services, Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi; Commander, Guards Brigade, Brig. Gen. Adebisi Olusegun Onasanya; and Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office (PEAO), Mrs. Bekearedebo Augusta Warrens.

The Terms of Reference of the Inter-Ministerial Committee, according to the SGF, include planning, organising and executing all approved activities for the October 1, 2026 Independence Day celebration; co-opting any organisation or individual considered relevant to the successful execution of the programme; documenting the planned activities for posterity; and undertaking any other assignment that may be required to ensure the successful implementation of the celebration.