Warren Buffett to leave Washington Post board

WASHINGTON (AP) — Billionaire investor Warren Buffett is leaving the board of the Washington Post Co.

Buffett, whose company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. owns 1.7 million Washington Post shares, first joined the Post's board in 1974, and except for one eight-year break he has remained on the board since then.

In a statement Thursday, Buffett says he will continue to offer any help to the company that management asks. But he will step down from his formal role in May.

Buffett didn't give a specific reason for leaving the board, and he didn't immediately respond to a message.