Tracy Britt: Berkshire’s Next Warren Buffett?

Is Tracy Britt of Berkshire being groomed as a possible successor to 82-year-old Warren Buffett? The 28-year-old blonde has a Harvard MBA and an office next to CEO Buffett’s at Berkshire’s headquarters, according to a report yesterday in The Wall Street Journal by Anupreeta Das.

Das said that Britt caught Buffett’s attention in 2009 by bringing a bushel of corn and a basket of tomatoes to their first meeting. She grew up on a family farm called Britt’s Garden Acres that grew more than 40 different varieties of produce.

Hired as a financial assistant, she has apparently climbed almost to the very top and WSJ considers her one of Berkshire’s most influential women — if not the most influential. Das said that Britt and Buffett wouldn’t comment on the story, and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of confirmation that Britt is in fact Berkshire’s secret successor.

Warren Buffett is widely regarded as the 20th century’s most successful investor, with Berkshire returning an annual growth of almost 20 percent over the last 48 years. Many people might not have the same confidence in a relatively inexperienced woman under age 30 as they do in Buffett himself.

However, it’s true that Tracy Britt is now the chairman of Benjamin Moore and Larson-Juhl, both owned by Berkshire Hathaway.

And now the rumors are growing that Tracy Britt is Berkshire’s logical successor to Warren Buffett.

While she hasn’t really said whether or not she’s gunning for the top job, Britt has acknowledged that she planned to work with a great investor from the very beginning of career:

“I’m happy to say that I have found that wonderful teacher and mentor, and he couldn’t be a better boss. As Warren Buffett’s financial assistant, I am grateful every day for the opportunity to learn from him.”

Do you think Tracy Britt will be Berkshire billionaire Buffett’s successor?

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