Significant business acquisitions

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Significant business acquisitions

Note 3.    Significant business acquisitions

Our long-held acquisition strategy is to purchase businesses with consistent earning power, good returns on equity and able and honest management at sensible prices.

On February 12, 2010, we acquired all of the outstanding common stock of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation that we did not already own (about 264.5 million shares or 77.5% of the outstanding shares) for aggregate consideration of $26.5 billion that consisted of cash of approximately $15.9 billion with the remainder in Berkshire common stock (80,931 Class A shares and 20,976,621 Class B shares). Approximately 50% of the cash component was funded with existing cash balances with the remainder funded by proceeds from debt issued by Berkshire. The acquisition was completed through the merger of a wholly-owned merger subsidiary (a Delaware limited liability company) and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation. The merger subsidiary was the surviving entity and was renamed Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC (“BNSF”). BNSF is based in Fort Worth, Texas, and through its wholly owned subsidiary, BNSF Railway Company, operates one of the largest railroad systems in North America with approximately 32,000 route miles (including 23,000 route miles of track owned by BNSF) of track in 28 states and two Canadian provinces.

Prior to February 12, 2010, we owned 76.8 million shares of BNSF (22.5% of the outstanding shares), which were acquired between August 2006 and January 2009. We accounted for those shares pursuant to the equity method and as of February 12, 2010, our investment had a carrying value of approximately $6.6 billion. Upon completion of the acquisition of the remaining BNSF shares, we re-measured our previously owned investment in BNSF at fair value as of the acquisition date. In the first quarter of 2010, we recognized a one-time holding gain of approximately $1 billion representing the difference between the fair value of the BNSF shares that we acquired prior to February 12, 2010 and our carrying value under the equity method. BNSF’s financial statements are included in our Consolidated Financial Statements beginning as of February 13, 2010.

On March 13, 2011, Berkshire and The Lubrizol Corporation (“Lubrizol”) entered into a merger agreement, whereby Berkshire would acquire all of the outstanding shares of Lubrizol common stock for cash of $135 per share (approximately $8.7 billion in the aggregate). The merger was completed on September 16, 2011. Lubrizol, based in Cleveland, Ohio, is an innovative specialty chemical company that produces and supplies technologies to customers in the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. These technologies include lubricant additives for engine oils, other transportation-related fluids and industrial lubricants, as well as additives for gasoline and diesel fuel. In addition, Lubrizol makes ingredients and additives for personal care products and pharmaceuticals; specialty materials, including plastics technology; and performance coatings in the form of specialty resins and additives. Lubrizol’s industry-leading technologies in additives, ingredients and compounds enhance the quality, performance and value of customers’ products, while reducing their environmental impact.

A preliminary allocation of the purchase price to Lubrizol’s assets and liabilities is summarized below (in millions):

Assets:			Liabilities, noncontrolling interests and net assets acquired:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	893	Accounts payable and other liabilities	$	1,684
Inventory		1,598	Notes payable and other borrowings		1,607
Property, plant and equipment		2,303	Income taxes, principally deferred		1,669
Intangible assets		3,710	Noncontrolling interests		78
Goodwill		4,210			5,038
Other		1,028	Net assets acquired		8,704
	$	13,742		$	13,742

Lubrizol’s financial statements are included in our Consolidated Financial Statements beginning as of September 16, 2011. The following table sets forth certain unaudited pro forma consolidated earnings data for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, as if the acquisition was consummated on the same terms at the beginning of 2010. Amounts are in millions, except earnings per share.

	First Nine Months
	2011		2010
Total revenues	$	110,205	$	104,115
Net earnings attributable to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders		7,608		8,818
Earnings per equivalent Class A common share attributable to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders		4,612		5,405

In the first quarter of 2011, we acquired 16.5% of the outstanding common stock of Marmon Holdings, Inc. (“Marmon”) for approximately $1.5 billion in cash, thus increasing our ownership to 80.2%.  We have owned a controlling interest in Marmon since 2008. We increased our interests in the underlying assets and liabilities of Marmon; however, under current GAAP, the excess of the purchase price over the carrying value of the noncontrolling interests acquired is not allocable to assets or liabilities. We recorded a charge of approximately $600 million to capital in excess of par value in our consolidated shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2010 to reflect this difference as such amount was fixed and determinable at that date.

In June 2011, we acquired the noncontrolling interests in Wesco Financial Corporation (“Wesco”) for aggregate consideration of $543 million consisting of cash of approximately $298 million and 3.25 million shares of Berkshire Class B common stock. Wesco is now an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire.