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Notes payable and other borrowings (Detail) € in Millions, £ in Millions, $ in Millions, ¥ in Billions | 6 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Jun. 30, 2024 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2024 EUR (€) | Jun. 30, 2024 GBP (£) | Jun. 30, 2024 JPY (¥) | Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  | € 5,850 | £ 1,750 | ¥ 1,522 |
Insurance and Other [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 41,940 |  |  |  | $ 42,692
Insurance and Other [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 3,745 |  |  |  | 3,740
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% | 3.50% |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2025 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2047 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Euro Denominated [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 4,895 |  |  |  | 6,145
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 1.10% | 1.10% | 1.10% | 1.10% |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Euro Denominated [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2025 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Euro Denominated [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2041 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Japanese Yen Denominated [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 9,431 |  |  |  | 8,896
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 0.90% | 0.90% | 0.90% | 0.90% |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Japanese Yen Denominated [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2024 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Japanese Yen Denominated [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2060 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 4,623 |  |  |  | 4,696
Short-term debt | $ 1,269 |  |  |  | 1,187
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 4.50% | 4.50% | 4.50% | 4.50% |
Short-term borrowings, weighted average interest rate | 7.20% | 7.20% | 7.20% | 7.20% |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2024 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2051 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 14,466 |  |  |  | 14,463
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 3.60% | 3.60% | 3.60% | 3.60% |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2027 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2052 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Euro Denominated [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 1,334 |  |  |  | 1,374
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 1.80% | 1.80% | 1.80% | 1.80% |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Euro Denominated [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2030 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Euro Denominated [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2034 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Great Britain Pound Denominated [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 2,177 |  |  |  | 2,191
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 2.50% | 2.50% | 2.50% | 2.50% |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Great Britain Pound Denominated [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2039 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Great Britain Pound Denominated [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2059 |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 81,688 |  |  |  | 85,579
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 4.40% | 4.40% | 4.40% | 4.40% |
Senior unsecured debt | $ 13,104 |  |  |  | 13,101
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2025 |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2053 |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 43,367 |  |  |  | 39,072
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 4.60% | 4.60% | 4.60% | 4.60% |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2024 |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2064 |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Short-term debt | $ 985 |  |  |  | 4,148
Short-term borrowings, weighted average interest rate | 6.20% | 6.20% | 6.20% | 6.20% |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Pilot Travel Centers ("Pilot") and Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  |  |  |  | 5,776
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings | $ 24,232 |  |  |  | $ 23,482
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 4.70% | 4.70% | 4.70% | 4.70% |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2024 |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2097 |  |  |  |

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