Berkshire Hathaway has completed 4 recorded acquisitions and 0 divestitures or spin-offs, spanning 1972 to 2016.
| Date | Type | Assets | Counterparty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2016 | Acquisition | Duracell | Procter & Gamble | $4.7bn |
| Apr 2002 | Acquisition | Fruit of the Loom | — | $835m |
| Jan 1998 | Acquisition | Dairy Queen | — | $585m |
| Jan 1972 | Acquisition | See's Candies | — | $25m |
Berkshire Hathaway acquired Duracell from Procter & Gamble in a share exchange worth about $4.7 billion, handing back its P&G stock rather than paying cash. Structuring it as an exchange avoided a large capital gains charge on shares Berkshire had held since the Gillette merger.
Berkshire Hathaway acquired Fruit of the Loom out of bankruptcy for about $835 million in cash. The underwear maker had collapsed under debt, and Berkshire bought the operating business rather than the holding company that had failed.
Berkshire Hathaway acquired International Dairy Queen for about $585 million. Almost every Dairy Queen is franchised, so Berkshire owns the brand and the system rather than the restaurants.
Berkshire Hathaway bought See's Candies for $25 million. Warren Buffett has repeatedly described it as the purchase that taught him to pay up for a business with pricing power rather than hunt for statistically cheap ones, and it has returned many times its cost.
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