Berkshire Hathaway's Class A Shares Cost About $766,000. Here's Why the Class B Shares Exist.

Warren Buffett created Berkshire Hathaway's Class B shares in 1996 to make the investment accessible to average investors as Class A shares became prohibitively expensive. Class B shares trade at approximately $510 compared to Class A's $766,000, though they carry reduced voting rights. A 50-to-1 split occurred in 2010, and future splits may be considered as prices rise.