Both had interests in a number of industries however the comparison stops there. Financial manipulation, overconfident management (including thinking management and its finance weenies) could properly manage and move from industry to industry, ineffective and poorly timed acquisitions/integrations and most of all up til now, ethics & integrity. that's what separates the two
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Berkshire is a holding company. Buffet buys companies he understands far below their intrinsic value. Its super important to him that the management come along cause he will not manage the business, he will only hold its shares. Many family businesses have sold to him precisely because he is hands off and lets them get some money out but still run the business they love. Berkshire's corporate team is about a dozen people and has no shared services. Buffet loves long term strategies and deeply dislikes and distrusts short term thinking. He humbly admits his mistakes in an annual letter and outlines his thinking and reasoning in an honest and open way.
Comparing Berkshire to GE is like comparing Earth to the Sun.
Immelt gambled we all lost. Buffet analysed, understood and won.
The difference is ge has been overpaying for acquisitions and under receiving for divestitures
Perfect!
Well said!