Todd Combs
Todd Combs | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 27, 1971 Sarasota, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Investment manager, CEO |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Known for | CEO of GEICO, investment manager at Berkshire Hathaway |
Todd Anthony Combs (born January 27, 1971) is an investment manager at Berkshire Hathaway and previously managed a hedge fund. Since January 2020, he has held the position of CEO at GEICO. Along with Ted Weschler, Combs is often considered a leading candidate to succeed Warren Buffett as Berkshire Hathaway's chief investment officer. In 2016, he was appointed to the board of JPMorgan Chase.
Early life and education
Combs grew up in Sarasota, Florida and attended Riverview High School. He completed his undergraduate studies at Florida State University in 1993, earning degrees in finance and multinational business operations. Later, he obtained an MBA from Columbia Business School in 2002.
Career
Following his graduation, Combs began his career as a financial analyst with the State of Florida Banking, Securities and Finance Division. Between 1996 and 2000, he served as a pricing analyst at Progressive Insurance, then transitioned to Keefe, Bruyette & Woods as an insurance analyst until 2002. From 2003 to 2005, he was employed at Copper Arch Capital, a hedge fund managed by Scott M. Sipprelle.
In 2005, Combs launched Castle Point Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut, backed by $35 million in initial funding from Stone Point Capital. He acted as CEO and Director until 2010, during which time investors reported aggregate returns of 34%. The Wall Street Journal revealed in October 2010 that Warren Buffett had selected Combs as his future successor for the chief investment officer role at Berkshire Hathaway.
Combs strengthened Berkshire's ties to one of the nation's foremost banks by joining the board of JPMorgan Chase in September 2016.
On December 23, 2019, he was appointed CEO of GEICO, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, while continuing his responsibilities as a portfolio manager within Berkshire.