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Significant accounting policies and practices - Summary of Reclassifications to Amounts Previously Reported (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2024 | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022
Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |
Inventories |  | $ 24,008 |  | $ 25,856 |  |
Goodwill | [1] | 83,880 |  | 84,626 |  | $ 78,119
Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 5,200 |  | 5,003 |  | 4,352
Insurance and Other [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  | 44,333 | [2] | 34,268 | [2] | 32,260
Other receivables |  | 43,887 |  | 46,261 |  |
Inventories |  | 24,008 |  | 25,856 |  |
Property, plant and equipment |  | 30,071 |  | 30,199 |  |
Goodwill |  | 56,860 |  | 57,473 |  |
Other intangible assets |  | 34,638 |  | 35,884 |  |
Other |  | 24,994 |  | 21,866 |  |
Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities |  | 37,489 |  | 36,559 |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  | 44,885 |  | 48,468 |  |
Revenues: |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales and service revenues |  | 202,334 |  | 207,148 |  | 157,518
Interest, dividend and other investment income |  | 21,825 |  | 15,764 |  | 10,263
Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services |  | 163,642 |  | 169,281 |  | 124,319
Selling, general and administrative expenses |  | 25,642 |  | 25,458 |  | 19,506
Interest expense |  | 1,594 |  | 1,671 |  | 1,187
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  | 3,396 | [2] | 3,754 | [2] | 3,551
Receivables |  | 4,503 |  | 4,999 |  |
Property, plant and equipment |  | 175,030 |  | 169,447 |  |
Goodwill |  | 27,020 |  | 27,153 |  |
Other |  | 20,811 |  | 19,845 |  |
Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities |  | 18,226 |  | 18,304 |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  | 79,877 |  | 79,803 |  |
Revenues: |  |  |  |  |  |
Utility and energy operating revenues |  | 21,518 |  | 21,232 |  | 21,023
Service revenues and other income |  | 4,917 |  | 4,728 |  | 5,324
Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  |  |
Utilities and energy cost of sales and other expenses |  | 16,984 |  | 18,399 |  | 15,896
Interest expense |  | $ 3,606 |  | 3,332 |  | $ 3,165
Previously Reported [Member] | Insurance and Other [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  |  | 33,672 |  |
Other receivables |  |  |  | 44,174 |  |
Inventories |  |  |  | 24,159 |  |
Property, plant and equipment |  |  |  | 22,030 |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  | 50,868 |  |
Other intangible assets |  |  |  | 29,327 |  |
Other |  |  |  | 19,568 |  |
Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities |  |  |  | 32,402 |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  |  |  | 42,692 |  |
Revenues: |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales and service revenues |  |  |  | 155,687 |  |
Interest, dividend and other investment income |  |  |  | 15,561 |  |
Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services |  |  |  | 122,569 |  |
Selling, general and administrative expenses |  |  |  | 22,605 |  |
Interest expense |  |  |  | 1,258 |  |
Previously Reported [Member] | Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  |  | 4,350 |  |
Receivables |  |  |  | 7,086 |  |
Property, plant and equipment |  |  |  | 177,616 |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  | 33,758 |  |
Other |  |  |  | 30,397 |  |
Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities |  |  |  | 22,461 |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  |  |  | 85,579 |  |
Revenues: |  |  |  |  |  |
Utility and energy operating revenues |  |  |  | 72,693 |  |
Service revenues and other income |  |  |  | 4,931 |  |
Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  |  |
Utilities and energy cost of sales and other expenses |  |  |  | 67,964 |  |
Interest expense |  |  |  | 3,745 |  |
Reclassification [Member] | Insurance and Other [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  |  | 596 |  |
Other receivables |  |  |  | 2,087 |  |
Inventories |  |  |  | 1,697 |  |
Property, plant and equipment |  |  |  | 8,169 |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  | 6,605 |  |
Other intangible assets |  |  |  | 6,557 |  |
Other |  |  |  | 2,298 |  |
Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities |  |  |  | 4,157 |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  |  |  | 5,776 |  |
Revenues: |  |  |  |  |  |
Sales and service revenues |  |  |  | 51,461 |  |
Interest, dividend and other investment income |  |  |  | 203 |  |
Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services |  |  |  | 46,712 |  |
Selling, general and administrative expenses |  |  |  | 2,853 |  |
Interest expense |  |  |  | 413 |  |
Reclassification [Member] | Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Assets: |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  |  | (596) |  |
Receivables |  |  |  | (2,087) |  |
Property, plant and equipment |  |  |  | (8,169) |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  | (6,605) |  |
Other |  |  |  | (10,552) |  |
Liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable, accruals and other liabilities |  |  |  | (4,157) |  |
Notes payable and other borrowings |  |  |  | (5,776) |  |
Revenues: |  |  |  |  |  |
Utility and energy operating revenues |  |  |  | (51,461) |  |
Service revenues and other income |  |  |  | (203) |  |
Costs and expenses: |  |  |  |  |  |
Utilities and energy cost of sales and other expenses |  |  |  | (49,565) |  |
Interest expense |  |  |  | $ (413) |  |
[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.
[2] | Includes U.S. Treasury Bills with maturities of three months or less when purchased of $14.4 billion at December 31, 2024 and $4.8 billion at December 31, 2023.

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- Definition The aggregate total costs related to selling a firm's product and services, as well as all other general and administrative expenses. Direct selling expenses (for example, credit, warranty, and advertising) are expenses that can be directly linked to the sale of specific products. Indirect selling expenses are expenses that cannot be directly linked to the sale of specific products, for example telephone expenses, Internet, and postal charges. General and administrative expenses include salaries of non-sales personnel, rent, utilities, communication, etc. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Topic 220 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(4)) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147483621/220-10-S99-2 + Details
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