OMAHA — The departure of NetJets’ founder is stirring speculation about who has the inside track on succeeding billionaire Warren Buffett at the aviation services company’s parent, Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett named David Sokol as NetJets chairman and interim chief executive to succeed Richard Santulli. Both men were among four people mentioned as possible successors to the legendary Buffett at Omaha-based Berkshire.
Sokol is chairman of Berkshire’s Des Moines, Iowa-based utility company Mid American Energy Holdings Co. Analyst Justin Fuller said Wednesday he thinks Sokol has the edge.
“In my mind, it continues to make him — if I were to handicap it — the front-runner to take over the operating side of Berkshire at some point,” said Fuller, who works with Midway Capital Research & Management in Chicago and writes about Berkshire online at . The Associated Press
