Skip navigation
See All Warren Buffett Watch posts
Text Size
Mar.10
10:24 AM ET
Monday, 10 Mar 2008
Warren Buffett "Gracefully" Says Goodbye to White Mountains

White Moutains Insurance Group Logo
Seven years after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway invested $300 million in White Mountains Insurance Group, it is selling its 16.3 percent stake in a $836 million deal.

In a news release this morning, White Mountains CEO Ray Barrette says:

""Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway were key to the financing of our acquisition of CGU/OneBeacon in 2001, and all shareholders benefited handsomely from the relationship. White Mountains is now a larger, more diversified business, competing actively in many areas with Berkshire Hathaway. This is a graceful, value-enhancing way to go our separate ways."

Berkshire gets $751 million in cash and a White Mountains subsidiary containing Commercial Casualty Insurance Company and International American Group.

That works out to $485 per share of Bermuda-based White Mountains, which closed last week at $478.  Current price: [WTM  Loading...      ()   ]

Reuters notes that Buffett was a "long-time friend" of Jack Byrne, White Mountains' CEO at the time of the initial investment, and a key player in Geico's growth in the 1970s.  At that time, Buffett was an investor.  Berkshire now owns Geico.

Current Berkshire price: [US;BRK.A  Loading...      ()   ]

Questions?  Comments?  Email me at

© 2008 CNBC, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Permalink: /id/23558191

HOME  |  NEWS  |  MARKETS  |  EARNINGS  |  INVESTING  |  VIDEO  |  CNBC TV  |  CNBC PLUS  |  CNBC MOBILE  |  CNBC HD+
About CNBC   |   Site Map   |   Privacy Policy   |   Terms of Service   |   Advertise   |   Help   |   Feedback   |   Video Reprints
  Data is a real-time snapshot   *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes

Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis