Goldman’s Weekend Call to Berkshire Spurs an $80 Billion Deal

As bankers at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raced to pull together one of the biggest equity offerings on record, they turned to a new face at a familiar place.

A stealthy weekend call to Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and a rapid signoff from new boss Greg Abel landed a $10 billion anchor investor for an unprecedented fundraising from Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc. It also offered fresh reassurance that Warren Buffett’s investing conglomerate remains the first port of call for companies in need of a big check or a vote of confidence.

Greg Abel

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Alphabet’s $80 billion return to the equity ...