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v3.25.0.1

Notes payable and other borrowings - Narrative (Detail) € in Millions, £ in Millions, $ in Millions, ¥ in Billions | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Jan. 31, 2025 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2024 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2024 JPY (¥) | Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2024 JPY (¥) | Dec. 31, 2024 EUR (€) | Dec. 31, 2024 GBP (£)
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayments of borrowings |  | $ 1,854 |  | $ 4,310 | $ 602 |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  | 21,091 |  | 18,781 |  |  |  |
Proceeds from borrowings |  | 5,525 |  | 2,054 | 1,970 |  |  |
Gain (loss) attributable to changes in foreign currency exchange rates |  | 1,376 |  | 371 | 1,401 |  |  |
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  |  |  |  |  | ¥ 1,988.0 | € 5,850 | £ 1,750
Line of Credit and Commercial Paper Facilities [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unused and available lines of credit |  | 11,400 |  |  |  |  |  |
Line of Credit and Commercial Paper Facilities [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unused and available lines of credit |  | 10,100 |  |  |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  | 44,885 |  | 48,468 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Subsidiaries Excluding Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Guarantee obligation |  | $ 2,700 |  |  |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Weighted average interest rate, percentage |  | 4.50% |  |  |  | 4.50% | 4.50% | 4.50%
Notes payable and other borrowings |  | $ 4,564 |  | 4,696 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Pilot Travel Centers ("PTC") and Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  |  |  | 5,776 |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year |  | 2025 | 2025 |  |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year |  | 2051 | 2051 |  |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayments of borrowings |  | $ 1,900 |  |  |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gain (loss) attributable to changes in foreign currency exchange rates |  | 1,500 |  | 217 | $ 1,700 |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes and Term Loan Due 2027 to 2054 [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Principal amount of debt issued |  | $ 5,500 | ¥ 837.4 |  |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes and Term Loan Due 2027 to 2054 [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest rate during period |  | 0.974% | 0.974% |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year |  | 2027 | 2027 |  |  |  |  |
Insurance and Other [Member] | Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes and Term Loan Due 2027 to 2054 [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest rate during period |  | 2.625% | 2.625% |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year |  | 2054 | 2054 |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  | $ 79,877 |  | 79,803 |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Pilot Travel Centers ("PTC") and Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from borrowings |  | $ 5,700 |  |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Weighted average interest rate, percentage |  | 4.60% |  |  |  | 4.60% | 4.60% | 4.60%
Notes payable and other borrowings |  | $ 42,150 |  | $ 39,072 |  |  |  |
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%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year |  | 2025 | 2025 |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year |  | 2025 | 2025 |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year |  | 2064 | 2064 |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year |  | 2053 | 2053 |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Term Debt [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayments of borrowings |  | $ 5,900 |  |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Term Debt [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Principal amount of debt issued |  | $ 6,400 |  |  |  |  |  |
Weighted average interest rate, percentage |  | 5.40% |  |  |  | 5.40% | 5.40% | 5.40%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Term Debt [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year |  | 2029 | 2029 |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Term Debt [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year |  | 2055 | 2055 |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Term Debt [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Principal amount of debt issued | $ 1,500 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Weighted average interest rate, percentage | 6.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Term Debt [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2035 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Term Debt [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt maturity year | 2055 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] | Senior Unsecured Debenture [Member] | Subsidiaries [Member] | BNSF [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayments of borrowings |  | $ 1,300 |  |  |  |  |  |
Principal amount of debt issued |  | $ 1,300 |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage |  | 5.50% |  |  |  | 5.50% | 5.50% | 5.50%
Debt maturity year |  | 2055 | 2055 |  |  |  |  |

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