Warren Buffett’s eventual successor will often face the question, WWBD?

What Would Buffett Do? Apparently he would keep expanding Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s horizons any way he saw fit. That’s the freedom the chief executive officer, who just turned 90, is giving the next CEO with this week’s announcement of a $6 billion investment in Japan and other recent breaks with tradition.

By showing he’s willing to move beyond some of his long-held practices, such as an aversion to share buybacks and a propensity to stick with close-to-home investments, the billionaire investor is removing those handcuffs from his next-in-line as well.