Will Google Become the Berkshire Hathaway of Tech? - Digits - WSJ

Investing for the long-term

"Buffett’s strategy is to find strong companies with capable leaders, acquire them and then let those executives run their businesses mostly undisturbed. Buffett doles out capital from the holding company to these businesses after periodic updates from the executives, typically once a year.

A reorganization that Page announced last week is moving Google in this direction, with the CEO overseeing the company’s newer investments in businesses such as Access and Energy, Nest and Calico.

These are more independent businesses growing under the Google corporate umbrella, with executives who Page trusts enough to let them run their operations mostly as they see fit. Tony Fadell, a former Apple design executive, oversees the connected home business Nest. Art Levinson, the former chairman and CEO of biotech startup Genentech, leads the health startup Calico. Craig Barratt, ex-CEO of Wi-Fi chip maker Atheros, heads the Access and Energy business."

Will Google Become the Berkshire Hathaway of Tech? - Digits - WSJ