In 1986, Warren Buffett bought a 400-acre Nebraska farm for $280,000; nearly 40 years later, his son is farming there and championing soil conservation instead of managing billions
Warren Buffett spent decades building one of the world’s biggest business empires. His middle son, Howard Graham Buffett, chose a very different path. Rather than following his father into investment and finance, Howard became a farmer and conservationist. For much of his adult life, he has worked with corn and soybeans, farmed in Nebraska and Illinois, and focused on conservation practices designed to protect soil. He has also been involved with research farms studying methods including no-till agriculture and soil health.
Warren Buffett bought a 400-acre farm and rented it to his son
Warren Buffett said his son loved farming and helped him estimate the farm’s expected production and operating costs.
In 1986, Warren Buffett bought a 400-acre farm in Nebraska, about 50 miles north of Omaha, for $280,000. He bought it from the FDIC after the collapse in Midwestern farmland prices and later rented it to Howard. In his own account of the investment, Warren Buffett said his son loved farming and helped him estimate the farm’s expected production and operating costs. Howard’s arrangement with his father was anything but a conventional family deal. According to the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the rental arrangement included 5% a year plus either 22% or 26% of the farm’s gross receipts, depending on Howard’s weight. The threshold was 182.5 pounds.If Howard was at or below that weight, the percentage was lower. If he went above it, the percentage increased. Howard spoke about the unusual arrangement in a Fortune interview, explaining that his father owned the land and that he paid him a percentage of the farm’s gross income as rent. He also joked about the weight clause, describing it as the “Buffett family version of going to Weight Watchers.” The arrangement reflected Warren Buffett’s approach to business.
He chose fields over finance
Howard did have experience in the corporate world. He has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s board since 1993 and has also held senior corporate positions. But farming remained a major part of his professional life. His work has largely centred on corn and soybeans, while his interests have expanded into conservation agriculture, food security and sustainable farming practices. He has farmed in Nebraska and Illinois, including the Nebraska property bought by his father and a 1,500-acre farm in Pana, Illinois.
Why no-till farming matters to Howard Buffett
He works a 1,500-acre farm in Pana, Illinois.
One of the practices closely associated with Howard’s agricultural work is no-till farming. The method reduces mechanical disturbance of the soil rather than repeatedly turning it over with conventional tillage. Howard has used no-till methods for decades and has spoken publicly about their potential benefits. In an interview with Mid-America Farmer Grower, he said, “I’m a real believer in no-till because I’ve seen it work.” He also discussed lower fuel use and fewer tractor hours as practical benefits of the method.His foundation has supported research into conservation agriculture, including large-scale trials examining no-till and conventional tillage and their effects on agricultural production and soil.
His Illinois farm became part of that experiment
Howard’s agricultural work eventually extended well beyond the Nebraska property. He works a 1,500-acre farm in Pana, Illinois, where his interest in conservation agriculture has played an important role. His foundation has also supported and operated research farms in the United States, including work in Illinois, Nebraska and Arizona. The work reflects Howard’s broader interest in food security and agricultural research.
The billionaire’s son who still wanted to be a farmer
Howard’s decision is particularly striking because of the family he was born into.
Howard’s decision is particularly striking because of the family he was born into. His father is Warren Buffett, one of the world’s best-known investors and the longtime leader of Berkshire Hathaway. Howard, however, built much of his professional life around farming rather than investment management. That choice also shaped the role his father envisioned for him at Berkshire. Warren Buffett did not plan for Howard to become the conglomerate’s chief executive. Instead, he has long associated his son with a possible future role as non-executive chairman, helping protect Berkshire’s culture without running its day-to-day operations.Howard has previously made clear that he did not want that responsibility to mean abandoning farming. “As long as I can keep farming,” he said when discussing the proposed role in an earlier 60 Minutes interview.
Berkshire Hathaway’s succession plan
Berkshire Hathaway’s succession plan has now moved into a new phase. Greg Abel became Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO on January 1, 2026, succeeding Warren Buffett. Warren Buffett remains chairman. Howard’s potential future role is different. Berkshire’s 2026 proxy statement says Warren Buffett believes that, after his death, it would be prudent for a member of the Buffett family to serve as non-executive chairman. Howard Buffett has long been associated with that succession plan, but the final decision will belong to Berkshire’s board.Howard would not be expected to run Berkshire’s businesses or direct its investments as non-executive chairman. Instead, the role would be focused on helping protect the culture his father spent decades building. The person who may eventually help safeguard Warren Buffett’s Berkshire legacy, therefore, is not a career financier. He is a farmer.
