XML 69 R56.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.25.0.1

Long-duration insurance contracts (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2024
Insurance [Abstract] |
Summary of life, annuity and health insurance benefits liabilities | A summary of our long-duration life, annuity and health insurance benefits liabilities disaggregated by our two principal product categories, periodic payment annuity (“annuities”) and life and health insurance, follows (in millions). Other liabilities include IBNR claims and claims in the course of settlement.
| December 31, |
| 2024 |  |  | 2023 |
Annuities | $ | 10,276 |  |  | $ | 11,212 |
Life and health |  | 4,490 |  |  |  | 5,749 |
Other liabilities |  | 2,850 |  |  |  | 3,252 |
| $ | 17,616 |  |  | $ | 20,213 |
Summary of changes in discounted present values of expected future policy benefits and expected future net premiums | Net premiums represent the portion of expected gross premiums that are required to provide for future policy benefits and variable expenses. Amounts are in millions.
| Annuities |  |  | Life and health |
| 2024 |  |  | 2023 |  |  | 2024 |  |  | 2023 |
Expected future policy benefits: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Balance at the beginning of the year | $ | 11,212 |  |  | $ | 10,640 |  |  | $ | 52,665 |  |  | $ | 52,008 |
Balance at the beginning of the year - original discount rates |  | 11,681 |  |  |  | 11,549 |  |  |  | 65,871 |  |  |  | 63,584 |
Effect of cash flow assumption changes |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (348 | ) |  |  | (829 | )
Effect of actual from expected experience |  | 3 |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | (12,711 | ) |  |  | (352 | )
Change in benefits, net |  | (478 | ) |  |  | (470 | ) |  |  | 1,991 |  |  |  | 1,616 |
Interest accrual |  | 550 |  |  |  | 537 |  |  |  | 1,234 |  |  |  | 1,787 |
Foreign currency effect |  | 1 |  |  |  | 60 |  |  |  | (867 | ) |  |  | 65 |
Balance at December 31 - original discount rates |  | 11,757 |  |  |  | 11,681 |  |  |  | 55,170 |  |  |  | 65,871 |
Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions |  | (1,481 | ) |  |  | (469 | ) |  |  | (11,386 | ) |  |  | (13,206 | )
Balance at December 31 | $ | 10,276 |  |  | $ | 11,212 |  |  | $ | 43,784 |  |  | $ | 52,665 |
Expected future net premiums: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Balance at the beginning of the year |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 46,916 |  |  | $ | 46,129 |
Balance at the beginning of the year - original discount rates |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 58,731 |  |  |  | 56,535 |
Effect of cash flow assumption changes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (416 | ) |  |  | (880 | )
Effect of actual from expected experience |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (11,104 | ) |  |  | (181 | )
Change in premiums, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,984 |  |  |  | 1,645 |
Interest accrual |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,099 |  |  |  | 1,566 |
Foreign currency effect |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (794 | ) |  |  | 46 |
Balance at December 31 - original discount rates |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 49,500 |  |  |  | 58,731 |
Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (10,206 | ) |  |  | (11,815 | )
Balance at December 31 |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 39,294 |  |  | $ | 46,916 |
Liability for future policy benefits: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Balance at December 31 | $ | 10,276 |  |  | $ | 11,212 |  |  | $ | 4,490 |  |  | $ | 5,749 |
Reinsurance recoverables |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (46 | ) |  |  | (1,571 | )
Balance at December 31, net of reinsurance recoverables | $ | 10,276 |  |  | $ | 11,212 |  |  | $ | 4,444 |  |  | $ | 4,178 |
Summary of Other Information Relating to Long-Duration Insurance Liabilities | Other information relating to our long-duration insurance liabilities as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 follows (dollars in millions).
| Annuities |  |  | Life and health |
| 2024 |  |  | 2023 |  |  | 2024 |  |  | 2023 |
Undiscounted expected future gross premiums | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 100,413 |  |  | $ | 117,078 |
Discounted expected future gross premiums |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 58,881 |  |  |  | 66,692 |
Undiscounted expected future benefits |  | 30,592 |  |  |  | 31,066 |  |  |  | 91,493 |  |  |  | 111,630 |
Weighted average discount rate |  | 5.8 | % |  |  | 5.1 | % |  |  | 4.9 | % |  |  | 5.1 | %
Weighted average accretion rate |  | 4.8 | % |  |  | 4.8 | % |  |  | 2.7 | % |  |  | 3.3 | %
Weighted average duration | 16 years |  |  | 18 years |  |  | 13 years |  |  | 13 years |
Summary of gross premiums earned and net interest expense | Gross premiums earned and interest expense before reinsurance ceded for each of the two years ended December 31, 2024 follows (in millions).
| Gross Premiums |  |  | Interest Expense |
| 2024 |  |  | 2023 |  |  | 2024 |  |  | 2023 |
Annuities | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 550 |  |  | $ | 537 |
Life and health |  | 3,830 |  |  |  | 3,627 |  |  |  | 135 |  |  |  | 221 |

X
- Definition Summary of gross premiums earned and interest expense. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | brka_SummaryOfGrossPremiumsEarnedAndInterestExpenseTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | brka_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Summary Of Life, Annuity And Health Insurance Benefits Liabilities. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | brka_SummaryOfLifeAnnuityAndHealthInsuranceBenefitsLiabilitiesTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | brka_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Summary of other information relating to long-duration insurance liabilities. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | brka_SummaryOfOtherInformationRelatingToLongDurationInsuranceLiabilitiesTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | brka_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_InsuranceAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of beginning balance to ending balance for liability for future policy benefit, with separate presentation of expected future net premium and expected future benefit. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 944 -SubTopic 40 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 65 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (g)(1) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480016/944-40-65-2 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Topic 944 -SubTopic 40 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 55 -Paragraph 29E -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480046/944-40-55-29E Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 944 -SubTopic 40 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147480081/944-40-50-6 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LiabilityForFuturePolicyBenefitActivityTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | dtr-types:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration