After he stepped down, a former sales manager blamed the company for over billing the US government in supply contracts. The company managed to settle the case with the government out of court for $6 million, without admitting any wrongdoing in the process. In February 2013 W.W. Grainger was rumored to be a on the list of possible buy-up targets for Warren Buffet’s cash-filled Berkshire Hathaway. Also, the company’s stock remained recession-proof during the financial crisis and the value of W.W. Grainger stock has almost tripled in the past five years.
