Who Owns Nebraska Furniture Mart?

Nebraska Furniture Mart was founded in 1937 by Rose Blumkin, a Russian immigrant known as "Mrs. B," who started the business in the basement of her husband's store in Omaha, Nebraska with $500 in savings. Mrs. B built the company on a simple philosophy: sell cheap and tell the truth. Despite having no formal education, she grew Nebraska Furniture Mart into one of the largest home furnishing stores in North America through relentless work ethic, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer service.

By the 1970s and 1980s, Nebraska Furniture Mart had become a regional retail powerhouse, operating from a massive store complex in Omaha that sold furniture, appliances, electronics, and flooring. The store's reputation for low prices and vast selection attracted customers from hundreds of miles away.

In 1983, Warren Buffett acquired 80% of Nebraska Furniture Mart from Mrs. B for $60 million — famously completing the deal on a handshake without auditing the company's books. Mrs. B continued to work at the store well into her 90s, becoming one of the most celebrated figures in American retail history. Berkshire Hathaway later acquired the remaining interest in the company.

Under Berkshire Hathaway ownership, Nebraska Furniture Mart has expanded to include massive retail locations in Kansas City (opened 2003) and The Colony, Texas (opened 2015), with the Texas location spanning over 560,000 square feet of retail space — making it one of the largest home furnishing stores in the United States.