public conglomerate and holding company

Berkshire Hathaway

A public holding company spanning insurance, rail, utilities, manufacturing, retail, and services, including GEICO. Berkshire has durable operating businesses, but its structure is shareholder-centered, unusually person-dependent, and materially exposed to high-carbon infrastructure.

Why this matters: GEICO's ordinary insurance profile sits inside a much larger conglomerate with rail, energy, and capital-allocation power.

Letter grade D Extractive High confidence (AI) Rubric gcd-rubric-v1 Last reviewed May 12, 2026

Final Score 1* D - Extractive

DEXTRACTIVE1 pts

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

Base Material16

Bonus+0

Cap35Ownership <= 2 and Governance <= 2

After Cap16

Penalties-15

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Evaluation Overview

D - Extractive

The score turns mainly on Product Integrity, with the largest penalty coming from Reversibility.

Strengths

Product Integrity3/5
Scale Integrity3/5
Solidarity with the Unemployed2/7

Penalties

Reversibility-5
High-Carbon Products-3
Ecological Harm-2
Policy Capture-2

Evidence state

ConfidenceHigh confidence (AI)
ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)
Linked claims15
Direct axis claims15
Coverage15/15

Scoring Axes

Axis	Score	Why this score
Ownership ? Control rights: shareholder-dominated at 0, worker cooperative control at 10.	1 / 10	Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. On Ownership, Berkshire Hathaway belongs near the bottom because parent ownership primarily serves shareholders, funds, families, executives, or individual owners. Any practical value at the subsidiary level does not become democratic control at the parent level. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. [1] context Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. [2] context Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. [3] context Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. [4] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. [5] context Berkshire Hathaway's public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. [6] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. [7] context Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. [8] context Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. [9]
Governance ? Binding decision authority: centralized control at 0, democratic stakeholder control at 10.	1 / 10	Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. On Governance, Berkshire Hathaway belongs near the bottom because parent ownership primarily serves shareholders, funds, families, executives, or individual owners. Any practical value at the subsidiary level does not become democratic control at the parent level. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence context Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. [1] Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. [2] context Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. [3] context Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. [4] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. [5] context Berkshire Hathaway's public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. [6] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. [7] context Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. [8] context Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. [9]
Extraction ? Surplus allocation, wage share, CEO pay ratio, margins, and structured extraction judgment.	1 / 10	Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. On Extraction, Berkshire Hathaway belongs near the bottom because parent ownership primarily serves shareholders, funds, families, executives, or individual owners. Any practical value at the subsidiary level does not become democratic control at the parent level. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence context Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. [1] context Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. [2] Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. [3] context Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. [4] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. [5] context Berkshire Hathaway's public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. [6] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. [7] context Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. [8] context Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. [9]
Labor Sovereignty ? Worker power: coercive conditions at 0, co-determination or ownership at 7. Employee dissatisfaction matters only when source-backed evidence shows concrete limits on worker agency, such as coercive scheduling, retaliation, wage theft, harassment, unsafe conditions, suppression of worker voice, or extreme turnover.	1 / 7	Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. On Labor Sovereignty, Berkshire Hathaway belongs near the bottom because parent ownership primarily serves shareholders, funds, families, executives, or individual owners. Any practical value at the subsidiary level does not become democratic control at the parent level. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence context Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. [1] context Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. [2] context Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. [3] Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. [4] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. [5] context Berkshire Hathaway's public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. [6] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. [7] context Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. [8] context Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. [9]
Solidarity with the Unemployed ? Treatment of exits and nonworkers, including severance, redeployment, and non-competes.	2 / 7	Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. On Solidarity with the Unemployed, Berkshire Hathaway belongs near the bottom because parent ownership primarily serves shareholders, funds, families, executives, or individual owners. Any practical value at the subsidiary level does not become democratic control at the parent level. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence context Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. [1] context Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. [2] context Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. [3] context Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. [4] Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. [5] context Berkshire Hathaway's public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. [6] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. [7] context Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. [8] context Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. [9]
Loss-Bearing Fidelity ? Willingness to absorb costs to preserve values, workers, users, and public obligations.	2 / 7	Berkshire Hathaway's linked public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. Berkshire Hathaway's linked public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. On Loss-Bearing Fidelity, Berkshire Hathaway belongs near the bottom because parent ownership primarily serves shareholders, funds, families, executives, or individual owners. Any practical value at the subsidiary level does not become democratic control at the parent level. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence context Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. [1] context Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. [2] context Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. [3] context Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. [4] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. [5] Berkshire Hathaway's public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. [6] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. [7] context Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. [8] context Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. [9]
Market Conduct ? Pricing fairness, switching costs, lock-in, and rent extraction.	2 / 5	Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. On Market Conduct, Berkshire Hathaway belongs near the bottom because parent ownership primarily serves shareholders, funds, families, executives, or individual owners. Any practical value at the subsidiary level does not become democratic control at the parent level. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence context Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. [1] context Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. [2] context Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. [3] context Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. [4] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. [5] context Berkshire Hathaway's public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. [6] Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. [7] context Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. [8] context Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. [9]
Product Integrity ? Preservation of quality rather than degradation for monetization.	3 / 5	Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. On Product Integrity, Berkshire Hathaway belongs in the lower-middle tier: the parent has useful operating capacity, but the structure still concentrates decisive power away from subsidiary workers, customers, readers, users, or communities. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence context Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. [1] context Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. [2] context Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. [3] context Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. [4] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. [5] context Berkshire Hathaway's public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. [6] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. [7] Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. [8] context Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. [9]
Scale Integrity ? Whether growth improves or degrades fairness and accountability.	3 / 5	Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. On Scale Integrity, Berkshire Hathaway belongs in the lower-middle tier: the parent has useful operating capacity, but the structure still concentrates decisive power away from subsidiary workers, customers, readers, users, or communities. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence context Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution. [1] context Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities. [2] context Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale. [3] context Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy. [4] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections. [5] context Berkshire Hathaway's public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities. [6] context Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies. [7] context Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives. [8] Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions. [9]

Penalties

Penalty	Applied	Why this penalty
Reversibility ? Applied when positive conduct depends on current living leaders, founders, family owners, or other person-contingent governance rather than durable structure. Range: -5 to 0.	-5	Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Reversibility directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Reversibility directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. This warrants a Reversibility penalty because parent control makes the cited risk materially relevant across owned brands, portfolio companies, users, customers, workers, or public institutions. The penalty is calibrated to the severity of that parent-level exposure rather than imported mechanically from any one subsidiary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Reversibility directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. [10]
Ecological Harm ? Footprint, trajectory, irreversibility, culpability, and scale, including whether ecological harm is central to the model and continued after credible notice. Range: -30 to 0.	-2	Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Ecological Harm directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Ecological Harm directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. This warrants a Ecological Harm penalty because parent control makes the cited risk materially relevant across owned brands, portfolio companies, users, customers, workers, or public institutions. The penalty is calibrated to the severity of that parent-level exposure rather than imported mechanically from any one subsidiary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Ecological Harm directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. [11]
Policy Capture ? Private-interest attempts to bend law, regulation, subsidies, taxes, enforcement, trade, labor, safety, competition, environmental, healthcare, housing, surveillance, civil-liberties, or consumer policy against workers, customers, citizens, affected communities, or ecological life. Public-interest advocacy is not penalized merely because it is lobbying. Range: -15 to 0.	-2	Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Policy Capture directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Policy Capture directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. This warrants a Policy Capture penalty because parent control makes the cited risk materially relevant across owned brands, portfolio companies, users, customers, workers, or public institutions. The penalty is calibrated to the severity of that parent-level exposure rather than imported mechanically from any one subsidiary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Policy Capture directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. [12]
High-Carbon Products ? Core products, services, financing, or supply chains that materially depend on fossil-fuel combustion, high-emissions transport, industrial animal agriculture, meat, dairy, or other unusually carbon-intensive activity. This is scored separately from general ecological harm so ordinary consumers can see carbon-intensive product exposure directly. Range: -10 to 0.	-3	Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes High-Carbon Products directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes High-Carbon Products directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. This warrants a High-Carbon Products penalty because parent control makes the cited risk materially relevant across owned brands, portfolio companies, users, customers, workers, or public institutions. The penalty is calibrated to the severity of that parent-level exposure rather than imported mechanically from any one subsidiary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes High-Carbon Products directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. [13]
Accountability Opacity ? Material opacity, reputation laundering, or hidden accountability structures that prevent public accountability. Range: -2 to 0.	-2	Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Accountability Opacity directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Accountability Opacity directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. This warrants a Accountability Opacity penalty because parent control makes the cited risk materially relevant across owned brands, portfolio companies, users, customers, workers, or public institutions. The penalty is calibrated to the severity of that parent-level exposure rather than imported mechanically from any one subsidiary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Accountability Opacity directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. [14]
Ideological Disavowal ? Concealed ideology presented as neutrality, expertise, professional necessity, public-service administration, market inevitability, or non-ideological common sense while exercising power. Range: -3 to 0.	-1	Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Ideological Disavowal directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Ideological Disavowal directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. This warrants a Ideological Disavowal penalty because parent control makes the cited risk materially relevant across owned brands, portfolio companies, users, customers, workers, or public institutions. The penalty is calibrated to the severity of that parent-level exposure rather than imported mechanically from any one subsidiary. Calibration notes Comparative anchor: Parent and owner entities calibrated against listed subsidiaries, conglomerates, private-equity firms, public companies, and mission-locked alternatives. Linked evidence Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Ideological Disavowal directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines. [15]

Bonus Credits

No bonus credits applied in this version.

Confidence Basis

Confidence is computed from the evidence trail and review state, not typed into the profile by hand.

High 80/100

15 verified linked claims 15 direct axis claims 0 disputed claims 15/15 components covered

This confidence label measures the source-backed evidence trail. AI-scaffolded scores remain tentative until human review.

Claim confidence 16/20

15 verified linked claims

Source quality 12/18

Best source per verified claim, weighted by institutional reliability

Direct axis-specific claims 14/18

15 direct claims across 15 active components

Dispute load 12/12

0 disputed claims on this entity

Recency 10/10

Newest accepted timestamp: May 13, 2026

Reviewer status 7/12

Human-reviewed components score higher than AI scaffolding

Component coverage 10/10

15/15 evidence-bearing components have direct support

Evidence State

Profile stateAI draft / human-pending

VerificationUnverified

ConfidenceHigh confidence (AI)

ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)

Correction routeUse “Challenge this rating” for factual errors, missing counterevidence, source problems, or calculation mistakes.

Company responseCompany representatives can submit source-backed corrections; payment never changes scores or reviewer authority.

Claims and Sources

Claims are the evidence record. Each claim needs a source link, axis category, status, confidence level, and timestamp before it can support a score.

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

1Berkshire Hathaway is organized as the parent, owner, or controlling holding structure described in the linked public materials, not as a worker-, customer-, reader-, or public-governed institution.

Ownership Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

Berkshire Hathaway corporate siteGeneral web source · 58%

2Berkshire Hathaway's public structure concentrates binding control in shareholders, family owners, funds, executives, or individual owners rather than the subsidiaries' workers, users, customers, or affected communities.

Governance Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

Berkshire Hathaway corporate siteGeneral web source · 58%

3Berkshire Hathaway controls or benefits from subsidiary, portfolio, platform, media, retail, insurance, finance, or franchise economics at parent scale.

Extraction Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

Berkshire Hathaway corporate siteGeneral web source · 58%

4Berkshire Hathaway's public ownership model does not give ordinary workers across controlled subsidiaries binding democratic authority over parent strategy.

Labor Sovereignty Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

Berkshire Hathaway corporate siteGeneral web source · 58%

5Berkshire Hathaway's parent-level structure creates ordinary corporate, investment, platform, or franchise exposure to layoffs, restructuring, divestitures, or weak exit protections.

Solidarity Unemployed Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

GEICO corporate ownershipOfficial self-description · 68%

6Berkshire Hathaway's public materials do not show a durable rule requiring parent owners or investors to absorb losses ahead of workers, customers, readers, users, or affected communities.

Loss Bearing Fidelity Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

Berkshire Hathaway corporate siteGeneral web source · 58%

7Berkshire Hathaway's parent position gives it market, platform, brand, portfolio, distribution, data, or financing power over ordinary customers or subsidiary constituencies.

Market Conduct Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

GEICO corporate ownershipOfficial self-description · 68%

8Berkshire Hathaway's controlled businesses include products or services with real public or consumer utility, but that utility is filtered through parent-level control and monetization incentives.

Product Integrity Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

GEICO corporate ownershipOfficial self-description · 68%

9Berkshire Hathaway's scale makes parent-level decisions consequential for many people across subsidiaries, portfolio companies, customers, workers, or public institutions.

Scale Integrity Verified High confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

Berkshire Hathaway corporate siteGeneral web source · 58%

10Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Reversibility directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines.

Reversibility Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

GEICO corporate ownershipOfficial self-description · 68%

11Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Ecological Harm directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines.

Ecological Harm Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

GEICO corporate ownershipOfficial self-description · 68%

12Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Policy Capture directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines.

Policy Capture Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

GEICO corporate ownershipOfficial self-description · 68%

13Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes High-Carbon Products directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines.

High Carbon Products Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

GEICO corporate ownershipOfficial self-description · 68%

14Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Accountability Opacity directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines.

Accountability Opacity Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

GEICO corporate ownershipOfficial self-description · 68%

15Berkshire Hathaway's public parent-level model makes Ideological Disavowal directly relevant through owner dependence, investor control, policy influence, data power, product externalities, identity pressure, opacity, or harmful subsidiary business lines.

Ideological Disavowal Verified Medium confidence Human-reviewed May 12, 2026

GEICO corporate ownershipOfficial self-description · 68%

Alternatives

AGOOD55 HOPE Credit Union community development credit union · United States AGOOD55 Self-Help Credit Union community development credit union · United States AGOOD54 The Institute of Student Loan Advisors nonprofit free student-loan advice organization · United States AGOOD53 Clean Energy Credit Union federally chartered credit union · United States AGOOD53 National Foundation for Credit Counseling nonprofit credit-counseling network · United States

Competitors

DEXTRACTIVE7 BC Partners private-equity firm · same market DEXTRACTIVE7 Sycamore Partners private-equity firm · same market DEXTRACTIVE7 TPG public alternative asset manager · same market DEXTRACTIVE6 JAB Holding Company private investment holding company · same market DEXTRACTIVE5 KKR public private-equity and investment firm · same market DEXTRACTIVE4 Roark Capital private-equity firm · same market AGOOD55 HOPE Credit Union community development credit union · United States AGOOD55 Self-Help Credit Union community development credit union · United States

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