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Business segment data - Additional tabular disclosures (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2024 | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | $ 5,200 | $ 5,003 | $ 4,352
Income tax expense |  | 20,815 | 23,019 | (8,502)
Depreciation and amortization |  | 12,855 | 12,486 | 10,899
Goodwill at year-end | [1] | 83,880 | 84,626 | 78,119
Assets |  | 1,153,881 | 1,069,978 | 948,465
Business Segments [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 4,982 | 4,630 | 3,946
Income tax expense |  | 8,870 | 6,910 | 4,981
Capital expenditures |  | 18,976 | 19,409 | 15,464
Depreciation and amortization |  | 12,208 | 11,667 | 10,082
Goodwill at year-end |  | 83,880 | 84,626 | 78,119
Identifiable assets at year-end |  | 932,848 | 921,210 | 807,701
Business Segments [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Income tax expense |  | 5,462 | 3,497 | 1,247
Capital expenditures |  | 99 | 68 | 82
Depreciation and amortization |  | 411 | 401 | 260
Goodwill at year-end |  | 16,557 | 16,563 | 16,548
Identifiable assets at year-end |  | 539,884 | 538,860 | 459,917
Business Segments [Member] | BNSF [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 1,078 | 1,048 | 1,025
Income tax expense |  | 1,617 | 1,527 | 1,763
Capital expenditures |  | 3,690 | 3,920 | 3,532
Depreciation and amortization |  | 2,621 | 2,627 | 2,510
Goodwill at year-end |  | 15,351 | 15,350 | 14,852
Identifiable assets at year-end |  | 80,813 | 79,227 | 77,752
Business Segments [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 2,528 | 2,283 | 2,140
Income tax expense |  | (1,871) | (2,022) | (1,629)
Capital expenditures |  | 9,013 | 9,148 | 7,505
Depreciation and amortization |  | 4,003 | 4,010 | 3,751
Goodwill at year-end |  | 11,669 | 11,804 | 11,745
Identifiable assets at year-end |  | 128,276 | 124,383 | 118,114
Business Segments [Member] | Pilot [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 302 | 414 |
Income tax expense |  |  | 169 |
Capital expenditures |  | 799 | 705 |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 1,012 | 796 |
Goodwill at year-end |  | 6,477 | 6,605 |
Identifiable assets at year-end |  | 19,652 | 21,404 |
Business Segments [Member] | Manufacturing Businesses [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 934 | 784 | 739
Income tax expense |  | 2,598 | 2,487 | 2,403
Capital expenditures |  | 2,779 | 2,714 | 2,477
Depreciation and amortization |  | 2,422 | 2,290 | 2,140
Goodwill at year-end |  | 27,716 | 27,831 | 28,460
Identifiable assets at year-end |  | 119,860 | 115,875 | 113,578
Business Segments [Member] | McLane [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 22 |  |
Income tax expense |  | 152 | 117 | 66
Capital expenditures |  | 236 | 264 | 93
Depreciation and amortization |  | 217 | 208 | 176
Goodwill at year-end |  | 232 | 232 | 232
Identifiable assets at year-end |  | 7,165 | 6,861 | 7,049
Business Segments [Member] | Service and Retailing [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 118 | 101 | 42
Income tax expense |  | 912 | 1,135 | 1,131
Capital expenditures |  | 2,360 | 2,590 | 1,775
Depreciation and amortization |  | 1,522 | 1,335 | 1,245
Goodwill at year-end |  | 5,878 | 6,241 | 6,282
Identifiable assets at year-end |  | 37,198 | 34,600 | 31,291
Segment Reconciling Items [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 427 | 426 | 420
Investment gains (losses), tax |  | 11,179 | 15,930 | (14,166)
Interest expense, not allocated to segments, tax |  | (90) | (90) | (88)
Non-controlled businesses, tax |  | 322 | 223 | 334
Goodwill at year-end |  | 83,880 | 84,626 | 78,119
Corporate, Eliminations and Other [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | (209) | (53) | (14)
Income tax expense |  | 534 | 46 | 437
Depreciation and amortization |  | 647 | 819 | 817
Identifiable assets at year-end |  | $ 137,153 | $ 64,142 | $ 62,645
[1] | Net of accumulated goodwill impairments of $11.5 billion as of December 31, 2024, $11.1 billion as of December 31, 2023 and $11.0 billion as of December 31, 2022.

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