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Business segment data - Earnings data (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2024 | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | $ 371,433 | $ 364,482 | $ 302,020
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 5,200 | 5,003 | 4,352
Total costs and expenses |  | 315,697 | 321,144 | 266,484
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 110,376 | 120,166 | (30,500)
BNSF [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 23,490 | 23,791 | 25,802
BHE [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 26,300 | 25,960 | 26,347
Manufacturing [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 77,148 | 75,283 | 75,650
Service and Retailing [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 39,783 | 39,879 | 38,209
Pilot [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | [1] | 46,856 | 51,664 |
McLane [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 51,086 | 51,814 | 53,209
Operating Businesses [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 370,892 | 364,653 | 301,884
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 4,982 | 4,630 | 3,946
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 53,936 | 43,637 | 34,775
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 105,069 | 95,022 | 82,310
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Losses and LAE |  | 56,186 | 57,187 | 57,646
Life, annuity and health benefits |  | 3,858 | 4,029 | 5,243
Other segment items |  | 16,872 | 15,312 | 11,719
Total costs and expenses |  | 76,916 | 76,528 | 74,608
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 28,153 | 18,494 | 7,702
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 88,257 | 83,403 | 74,576
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Losses and LAE |  | 56,186 | 57,187 | 57,646
Life, annuity and health benefits |  | 3,858 | 4,029 | 5,243
Other segment items |  | 16,808 | 15,274 | 11,709
Total costs and expenses |  | 76,852 | 76,490 | 74,598
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 11,405 | 6,913 | (22)
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | GEICO [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 42,252 | 39,264 | 38,984
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Losses and LAE |  | 30,331 | 31,814 | 36,297
Other segment items |  | 4,108 | 3,815 | 4,567
Total costs and expenses |  | 34,439 | 35,629 | 40,864
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 7,813 | 3,635 | (1,880)
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | BH Primary [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 18,733 | 17,129 | 13,746
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Losses and LAE |  | 12,666 | 11,224 | 9,889
Other segment items |  | 5,212 | 4,531 | 3,464
Total costs and expenses |  | 17,878 | 15,755 | 13,353
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 855 | 1,374 | 393
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | BHRG [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 27,272 | 27,010 | 21,846
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Losses and LAE |  | 13,189 | 14,149 | 11,460
Life, annuity and health benefits |  | 3,858 | 4,029 | 5,243
Other segment items |  | 7,488 | 6,928 | 3,678
Total costs and expenses |  | 24,535 | 25,106 | 20,381
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 2,737 | 1,904 | 1,465
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Investment Income [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 16,812 | 11,619 | 7,734
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Other segment items |  | 64 | 38 | 10
Total costs and expenses |  | 64 | 38 | 10
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 16,748 | 11,581 | 7,724
Operating Businesses [Member] | BNSF [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 23,572 | 23,876 | 25,888
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Compensation and benefits |  | 5,872 | 5,551 | 5,321
Fuel |  | 3,267 | 3,684 | 4,581
Depreciation and amortization |  | 2,621 | 2,627 | 2,510
Interest expense |  | 1,078 | 1,048 | 1,025
Other segment items |  | 4,086 | 4,352 | 4,743
Total costs and expenses |  | 16,924 | 17,262 | 18,180
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 6,648 | 6,614 | 7,708
Operating Businesses [Member] | BHE [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 26,348 | 26,008 | 26,393
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Energy Cost of Sales |  | 6,616 | 7,057 | 6,757
Energy Operations and Maintenance |  | 5,470 | 6,456 | 4,216
Energy Depreciation and Amortization |  | 3,957 | 3,960 | 3,695
Real Estate Costs and Expenses |  | 4,509 | 4,316 | 5,117
Interest expense |  | 2,528 | 2,283 | 2,140
Other segment items |  | 976 | 996 | 1,322
Total costs and expenses |  | 24,056 | 25,068 | 23,247
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 2,292 | 940 | 3,146
Operating Businesses [Member] | Manufacturing [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 77,231 | 75,405 | 75,781
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services |  | 50,702 | 50,389 | 52,297
Cost of leasing |  | 1,142 | 1,051 | 1,083
Interest expense |  | 934 | 784 | 739
Other segment items |  | 12,558 | 11,736 | 10,485
Total costs and expenses |  | 65,336 | 63,960 | 64,604
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 11,895 | 11,445 | 11,177
Operating Businesses [Member] | Service and Retailing [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 39,874 | 39,996 | 38,303
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services |  | 23,818 | 23,915 | 22,952
Cost of leasing |  | 5,917 | 5,011 | 4,462
Interest expense |  | 118 | 101 | 42
Other segment items |  | 6,321 | 6,248 | 6,076
Total costs and expenses |  | 36,174 | 35,275 | 33,532
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 3,700 | 4,721 | 4,771
Operating Businesses [Member] | Pilot [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 46,891 | 51,739 |
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services |  | 42,591 | 47,505 |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 1,012 | 796 |
Interest expense |  | 302 | 414 |
Other segment items |  | 2,674 | 2,470 |
Total costs and expenses |  | 46,277 | 50,771 |
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | 614 | 968 |
Operating Businesses [Member] | McLane [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues |  | 51,907 | 52,607 | 53,209
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services |  | 47,604 | 48,495 | 49,236
Depreciation and amortization |  | 217 | 208 | 176
Interest expense |  | 22 |  |
Other segment items |  | 3,452 | 3,449 | 3,526
Total costs and expenses |  | 51,273 | 52,152 | 52,938
Earnings (loss) before income taxes |  | $ 634 | $ 455 | $ 271
[1] | Revenues from Pilot are principally fuel sales and revenues in 2023 are for the eleven months ending December 31.

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