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Business segment data - Earnings data (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended
--- | ---
Mar. 31, 2025 | Mar. 31, 2024
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | $ 89,725 | $ 89,869
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Interest expense | 1,257 | 1,316
Total costs and expenses | 78,268 | 76,532
Earnings before income taxes | 5,148 | 15,706
BNSF [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 5,699 | 5,637
BHE [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 6,344 | 6,265
Manufacturing [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 18,752 | 18,511
Service and Retailing [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 10,112 | 9,672
Pilot [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 10,422 | 12,494
McLane [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 12,016 | 12,300
Operating Businesses [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 88,959 | 89,785
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Interest expense | 1,309 | 1,236
Earnings before income taxes | 11,615 | 12,486
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 25,375 | 24,638
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Losses and LAE | 14,646 | 13,448
Life, annuity and health benefits | 1,068 | 945
Other segment items | 4,378 | 3,767
Total costs and expenses | 20,092 | 18,160
Earnings before income taxes | 5,283 | 6,478
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 21,804 | 21,474
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Losses and LAE | 14,646 | 13,448
Life, annuity and health benefits | 1,068 | 945
Other segment items | 4,368 | 3,755
Total costs and expenses | 20,082 | 18,148
Earnings before income taxes | 1,722 | 3,326
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | GEICO [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 10,752 | 10,234
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Losses and LAE | 7,424 | 7,414
Other segment items | 1,155 | 892
Total costs and expenses | 8,579 | 8,306
Earnings before income taxes | 2,173 | 1,928
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | BH Primary [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 4,577 | 4,541
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Losses and LAE | 3,452 | 2,812
Other segment items | 1,269 | 1,243
Total costs and expenses | 4,721 | 4,055
Earnings before income taxes | (144) | 486
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | BHRG [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 6,475 | 6,699
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Losses and LAE | 3,770 | 3,222
Life, annuity and health benefits | 1,068 | 945
Other segment items | 1,944 | 1,620
Total costs and expenses | 6,782 | 5,787
Earnings before income taxes | (307) | 912
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Investment Income [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 3,571 | 3,164
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Other segment items | 10 | 12
Total costs and expenses | 10 | 12
Earnings before income taxes | 3,561 | 3,152
Operating Businesses [Member] | BNSF [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 5,720 | 5,660
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Compensation and benefits | 1,387 | 1,412
Fuel | 770 | 855
Depreciation and amortization | 671 | 657
Interest expense | 272 | 265
Other segment items | 1,017 | 952
Total costs and expenses | 4,117 | 4,141
Earnings before income taxes | 1,603 | 1,519
Operating Businesses [Member] | BHE [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 6,356 | 6,277
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Energy Cost of Sales | 1,531 | 1,670
Energy Operations and Maintenance | 1,249 | 1,235
Energy Depreciation and Amortization | 1,009 | 982
Real Estate Costs and Expenses | 871 | 1,086
Interest expense | 646 | 645
Other segment items | 327 | 227
Total costs and expenses | 5,633 | 5,845
Earnings before income taxes | 723 | 432
Operating Businesses [Member] | Manufacturing [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 18,766 | 18,529
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Cost of sales and services | 12,329 | 12,232
Cost of leasing | 294 | 243
Interest expense | 285 | 198
Other segment items | 3,142 | 2,942
Total costs and expenses | 16,050 | 15,615
Earnings before income taxes | 2,716 | 2,914
Operating Businesses [Member] | Service and Retailing [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 10,137 | 9,703
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Cost of sales and services | 6,064 | 5,786
Cost of leasing | 1,589 | 1,448
Interest expense | 27 | 29
Other segment items | 1,516 | 1,532
Total costs and expenses | 9,196 | 8,795
Earnings before income taxes | 941 | 908
Operating Businesses [Member] | Pilot [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 10,430 | 12,503
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Cost of sales and services | 9,284 | 11,557
Depreciation and amortization | 257 | 245
Interest expense | 72 | 94
Other segment items | 721 | 631
Total costs and expenses | 10,262 | 12,433
Earnings before income taxes | 168 | 70
Operating Businesses [Member] | McLane [Member] |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |
Revenues | 12,175 | 12,475
Costs and Expenses: |  |
Cost of sales and services | 11,101 | 11,443
Depreciation and amortization | 49 | 50
Interest expense | 7 | 5
Other segment items | 844 | 817
Total costs and expenses | 11,994 | 12,310
Earnings before income taxes | $ 181 | $ 165

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