Burlington Northern

Burlington Northern

Berkshire Hathaway, the investment vehicle of Warren E. Buffett, said on Tuesday that it planned to buy the 77.4 percent of Burlington Northern Santa Fe it did not already own for $34 billion in cash and stock, in the largest deal in Berkshire history.

The deal, which will also include the assumption of $10 billion in Burlington Northern debt, represents what Mr. Buffett said was a big bet on the United States. He told CNBC in an interview that railroad operators cannot do well unless American businesses were producing goods and customers were buying them.

“It’s an all-in wager on the economic future of the United States,” he said in a written statement. “I love these bets.”
In the interview with CNBC, Mr. Buffett said that the deal came together quickly. He made a proposal to Matthew K. Rose, Burlington Northern’s chairman and chief executive. Mr. Rose took the proposal to his board — and got an answer in about 15 minutes.