In a surprise announcement on May 3, Warren Buffett said he will step down at year's end as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, ending a 60-year era where the billionaire investor has become an influential and iconic part of the U.

In an announcement that many investors knew was coming but didn’t believe would actually happen, famed investor Warren Buffett said Saturday at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting that he would step down as CEO at the end of the year.

Abel was named vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway in 2018. Although he has been at the company for more than two decades, he is considered to be much more guarded and hands-on than Buffett.