[1][2] During his childhood Abel did odd jobs like distributing flyers and returning bottles to make money.
[2][5] Abel began his career as a chartered accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in their San Francisco office.
[7] Abel is also vice chairman of Edison Electric Institute, and a director of AEGIS Limited, Kraft Heinz, Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited, the Hockey Canada Foundation, the Mid-Iowa Council Boy Scouts of America, and the American Football Coaches Foundation.
[8][9] In a May 2021 interview, Warren Buffett confirmed Abel as his future successor as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
[10][11] Abel's handling of CalEnergy’s take-over of a British utility in the 1990s is credited to mark the start of this transition.