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Originally established in 1848 as the Prudential Mutual Assurance, Investment, and Loan Association, Prudential has changed a lot since. Set up to sell life insurance and loans to the middle class, the company subsequently diversified into Europe and then North America with the purchase of Jackson National Life around 1985. During its time as owner of Jackson, Prudential focused on building a simple chassis-style product portfolio that allowed customers to choose from a variety of add-ons. The company also became renowned for its focus on building the internal capabilities required to support its strong product offerings, including compelling technology and a large well-trained wholesale salesforce.

Berkshire Hathaway is a holding company with a wide array of subsidiaries engaged in diverse activities. The firm's core business segment is insurance, run primarily through Geico, Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group, and Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group. Berkshire has used the excess cash thrown off from its operations to acquire Burlington Northern Santa Fe (railroad), Berkshire Hathaway Energy (utilities and energy distributors), and the companies that make up its manufacturing, service, and retailing operations (which include Precision Castparts, Lubrizol, Clayton Homes, Marmon, and IMC/ISCAR). The conglomerate is unique in that it is run on a completely decentralized basis.