According to Mars Finance, on May 4, American investor Warren Buffett announced at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting that he plans to retire by the end of the year, shocking the shareholders present. Buffett stated that he would recommend Greg Abel, the vice chairman of non-insurance businesses, to the Berkshire Hathaway board of directors to succeed him as CEO at the end of the year, saying he believes the time is right for Greg to take on the role. According to the Associated Press, Buffett made this announcement after a five-hour Q&A session and did not answer any related questions. Buffett mentioned that the only members of the board who knew about this were his two children, Howard Buffett and Susie Buffett.