Fitch Ratings announced on Tuesday that it may decide to downgrade some of "AAA" ratings on Berkshire Hathaway because on worries about the future leadership of the holding company.

For the first time since Fitch started rating the company on Dec. 18, 2001, it gave a negative outlook to Berkshire’s "AAA" long-term issuer and unsecured senior debt ratings. The previous outlook was stable. The agency is concerned with the ability of the company to sustain the same level of operations once its reputable chief Warren Buffett departs from the holding. Though Buffett, 74, has not voiced any intention to leave, his very age suggests such a possibility.

’’[Buffett] is a man of fairly exceptional talent and those talents aren’t easy to replace," said Don Thorpe, a senior director at Fitch.

"Berkshire’s General Re subsidiary may have suffered some reputation damage due to its involvement in several transactions," Fitch said.

"The investigations, which included the questioning of Mr. Buffett’s possible role in a loss portfolio-transfer arrangement with AIG, further highlights the key-person risk at Berkshire," Fitch added.