<PAGE>
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 29, 2000
Registration No. 333-_____
================================================================================
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
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FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Delaware 47-0813844
(State or Other Jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number)
Incorporation or Organization)
1440 Kiewit Plaza
Omaha, Nebraska 68131
(Address, including zip code,
of Principal Executive Offices)
Revised Profit Sharing Plan for the Employees of the Government Employees
Companies
(Full Title of the Plan)
Marc D. Hamburg
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
1440 Kiewit Plaza
Omaha, Nebraska 68131
(402) 346-1400
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone
number, including area code, of Agent for Service)
Copy To:
Mary Ann Lyman, Esq.
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
355 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90071
(213) 683-9100
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CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
==================================================================================================================
Proposed Proposed
Maximum Maximum Amount of
Title Of Securities Amount To Be Offering Price Aggregate Offering Registration
To Be Registered Registered Per Share Price Fee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Class B Common Stock, par value
$.1667 per share 45,527 shares(1)(2) $2,196.50(3) $100,000,056(3) $26,401
==================================================================================================================
</TABLE>
(1) The shares of Class B Common Stock of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. being
registered consist of shares to be acquired in open market purchases under
the Revised Profit Sharing Plan for the Employees of the Government
Employees Companies (the "Plan") described herein.
(2) Pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, this registration
statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to be offered or
sold pursuant to the Plan described herein.
(3) Pursuant to Rules 457(h)(1) and 457(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act"), the proposed maximum offering price per
share and the proposed maximum aggregate offering price are estimated
solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee required under
Section 6(b) of the Securities Act and are based upon the average of the
high and low prices for a share of Class B Common Stock of Berkshire
Hathaway Inc. on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape on December 22,
2000.
<PAGE>
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
All information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a)
prospectus is omitted from this registration statement in accordance with the
Note to Part I of Form S-8 and Rule 428 of the Securities Act.
<PAGE>
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
The following documents filed by Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a Delaware
corporation ("Berkshire") with the Commission (File No. 1-14905) are
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement: (i) Berkshire's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999, (ii)
Berkshire's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 22, 2000, (iii)
Berkshire's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2000, (iv)
Berkshire's Amended Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed on November 3, 2000, (v)
Berkshire's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 24, 2000, (vi)
Berkshire's Amended Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed on June 27, 2000, (vii)
Berkshire's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 20, 2000, (viii)
Berkshire's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30,
2000, (ix) Berkshire's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June
30, 2000, (x) Berkshire's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
March 31, 2000, and (xi) the description of Berkshire's Class B Common Stock
included in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Commission on
March 30, 1999.
All documents filed by Berkshire pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, or
15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters
all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents. Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or
deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or
superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a
statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document which also is
or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such
statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed,
except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration
Statement.
Item 4. Description of Securities.
Not Applicable.
Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
Not Applicable.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware empowers Berkshire
to indemnify, subject to the standards therein prescribed, any person in
connection with any action, suit or proceeding brought or threatened by reason
of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of
Berkshire or is or was serving as such with respect to another corporation or
other entity at the request of Berkshire. Section 10 of Berkshire's By-Laws
provides that Berkshire shall, to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of
the General Corporation Law of Delaware, indemnify directors and officers of
Berkshire from and against any and all of the expenses, liabilities or other
matters referred to in or covered by said Section.
Additionally, as permitted by said Section and Berkshire's By-Laws,
Berkshire has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors
and officers. The description of such indemnification agreements in paragraphs
2 and 3 of Item 15 of Berkshire's Registration Statement on Form S-3
(Registration No. 333-41686) filed with the Commission on July 18, 2000 is
incorporated herein by reference.
As permitted by Section 102 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware,
Berkshire's Restated Certificate of Incorporation includes as Article Eighth
thereof a provision eliminating, to the extent permitted by Delaware law, the
personal liability of each director of Berkshire to Berkshire or any of its
stockholders for monetary damages resulting from breaches of such director's
fiduciary duty of care.
<PAGE>
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.
Not Applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits.
Exhibit No. Description
----------- -----------
4.1 Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Berkshire
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Form S-4
Registration Statement (No. 333-61129) filed by Berkshire on
August 10, 1998).
4.2 Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation of
Berkshire (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to Form S-
4 Registration Statement (No. 333-70609) filed by Berkshire on
January 14, 1999).
4.3 By-Laws of Berkshire (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2
to Form S-4 Registration Statement (No. 333-61129) filed by
Berkshire on August 10, 1998).
5.1 Berkshire undertakes to cause the Plan and any amendment
thereto to be submitted to the Internal Revenue Service
("IRS") in a timely manner and to cause all changes required
by the IRS in order to qualify the Plan to be made.
23.1 Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
24 Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this
Registration Statement).
Item 9. Undertakings.
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
a post-effective amendment to this registration statement to include any
material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement;
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof;
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.
(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit
plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be
deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the registrant in the successful defense of any
<PAGE>
action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling
person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will,
unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized in the city of Omaha, State of Nebraska on this 29th day of December,
2000.
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC.
By: /s/ Marc D. Hamburg
---------------------------------
Marc D. Hamburg
Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints
each of Warren E. Buffett, Charles T. Munger, and Marc D. Hamburg his true and
lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full powers of substitution and
resubstitution, for the undersigned and in the name of the undersigned, in any
and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments (including post-effective
amendments) to this Registration Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and
agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all
intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or their substitute or
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Signature Title Date
--------- ----- ----
<S> <C> <C>
/s/ Warren E. Buffett Chairman of the Board and Director December 29, 2000
----------------------------------- (principal executive officer)
Warren E. Buffett
/s/ Marc D. Hamburg Vice President and Chief Financial December 29, 2000
----------------------------------- Officer (principal financial officer)
Marc D. Hamburg
/s/ Daniel J. Jaksich Controller (principal accounting December 29, 2000
----------------------------------- officer)
Daniel J. Jaksich
/s/ Charles T. Munger Vice-Chairman of the Board and Director December 29, 2000
-----------------------------------
Charles T. Munger
/s/ Susan T. Buffett Director December 29, 2000
-----------------------------------
Susan T. Buffett
/s/ Malcolm G. Chace, III Director December 29, 2000
-----------------------------------
Malcolm G. Chace, III
/s/ Walter Scott, Jr. Director December 29, 2000
-----------------------------------
Walter Scott, Jr.
/s/ Howard G. Buffett Director December 29, 2000
-----------------------------------
Howard G. Buffett
/s/ Ronald L. Olson Director December 29, 2000
----------------------
Ronald L. Olson
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the trustees (or
other persons who administer the Plan) have duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in Washington, D.C. on this 29th day of December, 2000.
REVISED PROFIT SHARING PLAN FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF
THE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES COMPANIES
By: /s/ Charles G. Schara
-----------------------
Charles G. Schara
Chairman of the Profit Sharing Plan
Administrative Committee
