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Business segment data - Earnings data (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Jun. 30, 2025 | Jun. 30, 2024 | Jun. 30, 2025 | Jun. 30, 2024
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | $ 92,515 | $ 93,653 | $ 182,240 | $ 183,522
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Interest expense | 1,253 | 1,230 | 2,510 | 2,546
Total costs and expenses | 79,384 | 79,625 | 157,652 | 156,157
Earnings before income taxes | 14,750 | 38,137 | 19,898 | 53,843
BNSF [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 5,746 | 5,787 | 11,445 | 11,424
BHE [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 6,405 | 6,480 | 12,749 | 12,745
Manufacturing [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 19,940 | 19,807 | 38,692 | 38,318
Service and Retailing [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 10,671 | 9,922 | 20,783 | 19,594
Pilot [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 10,095 | 12,984 | 20,517 | 25,478
McLane [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 12,399 | 12,271 | 24,415 | 24,571
Operating Businesses [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 91,802 | 93,571 | 180,761 | 183,356
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Interest expense | 1,316 | 1,204 | 2,625 | 2,440
Earnings before income taxes | 13,378 | 13,302 | 24,993 | 25,788
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 26,248 | 26,030 | 51,623 | 50,668
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Losses and LAE | 14,073 | 14,107 | 28,719 | 27,555
Life, annuity and health benefits | 1,132 | 954 | 2,200 | 1,899
Other segment items | 4,506 | 4,054 | 8,884 | 7,821
Total costs and expenses | 19,711 | 19,115 | 39,803 | 37,275
Earnings before income taxes | 6,537 | 6,915 | 11,820 | 13,393
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 22,195 | 21,953 | 43,999 | 43,427
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Losses and LAE | 14,073 | 14,107 | 28,719 | 27,555
Life, annuity and health benefits | 1,132 | 954 | 2,200 | 1,899
Other segment items | 4,456 | 4,045 | 8,824 | 7,800
Total costs and expenses | 19,661 | 19,106 | 39,743 | 37,254
Earnings before income taxes | 2,534 | 2,847 | 4,256 | 6,173
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | GEICO [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 11,064 | 10,469 | 21,816 | 20,703
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Losses and LAE | 7,945 | 7,755 | 15,369 | 15,169
Other segment items | 1,298 | 928 | 2,453 | 1,820
Total costs and expenses | 9,243 | 8,683 | 17,822 | 16,989
Earnings before income taxes | 1,821 | 1,786 | 3,994 | 3,714
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | BH Primary [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 4,677 | 4,656 | 9,254 | 9,197
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Losses and LAE | 3,193 | 3,093 | 6,645 | 5,905
Other segment items | 1,421 | 1,284 | 2,690 | 2,527
Total costs and expenses | 4,614 | 4,377 | 9,335 | 8,432
Earnings before income taxes | 63 | 279 | (81) | 765
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | BHRG [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 6,454 | 6,828 | 12,929 | 13,527
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Losses and LAE | 2,935 | 3,259 | 6,705 | 6,481
Life, annuity and health benefits | 1,132 | 954 | 2,200 | 1,899
Other segment items | 1,737 | 1,833 | 3,681 | 3,453
Total costs and expenses | 5,804 | 6,046 | 12,586 | 11,833
Earnings before income taxes | 650 | 782 | 343 | 1,694
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Investment Income [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 4,053 | 4,077 | 7,624 | 7,241
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Other segment items | 50 | 9 | 60 | 21
Total costs and expenses | 50 | 9 | 60 | 21
Earnings before income taxes | 4,003 | 4,068 | 7,564 | 7,220
Operating Businesses [Member] | BNSF [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 5,769 | 5,805 | 11,489 | 11,465
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Compensation and benefits | 1,372 | 1,321 | 2,759 | 2,733
Fuel | 698 | 822 | 1,468 | 1,676
Depreciation and amortization | 679 | 663 | 1,350 | 1,320
Interest expense | 270 | 267 | 542 | 532
Other segment items | 941 | 1,110 | 1,958 | 2,063
Total costs and expenses | 3,960 | 4,183 | 8,077 | 8,324
Earnings before income taxes | 1,809 | 1,622 | 3,412 | 3,141
Operating Businesses [Member] | BHE [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 6,418 | 6,492 | 12,774 | 12,769
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Energy Cost of Sales | 1,434 | 1,527 | 2,965 | 3,197
Energy Operations and Maintenance | 1,392 | 1,562 | 2,641 | 2,797
Energy Depreciation and Amortization | 1,054 | 976 | 2,063 | 1,958
Real estate operating costs and expenses | 1,210 | 1,240 | 2,081 | 2,326
Interest expense | 664 | 625 | 1,310 | 1,270
Other segment items | 279 | 236 | 606 | 463
Total costs and expenses | 6,033 | 6,166 | 11,666 | 12,011
Earnings before income taxes | 385 | 326 | 1,108 | 758
Operating Businesses [Member] | Manufacturing [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 19,969 | 19,840 | 38,735 | 38,369
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services | 12,980 | 13,058 | 25,309 | 25,290
Cost of leasing | 305 | 287 | 599 | 530
Interest expense | 298 | 195 | 583 | 393
Other segment items | 3,139 | 3,171 | 6,281 | 6,113
Total costs and expenses | 16,722 | 16,711 | 32,772 | 32,326
Earnings before income taxes | 3,247 | 3,129 | 5,963 | 6,043
Operating Businesses [Member] | Service and Retailing [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 10,688 | 9,947 | 20,825 | 19,650
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services | 6,394 | 5,959 | 12,458 | 11,745
Cost of leasing | 1,587 | 1,457 | 3,176 | 2,905
Interest expense | 29 | 29 | 56 | 58
Other segment items | 1,573 | 1,533 | 3,089 | 3,065
Total costs and expenses | 9,583 | 8,978 | 18,779 | 17,773
Earnings before income taxes | 1,105 | 969 | 2,046 | 1,877
Operating Businesses [Member] | Pilot [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 10,109 | 12,999 | 20,539 | 25,502
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services | 9,010 | 11,893 | 18,294 | 23,450
Depreciation and amortization | 260 | 251 | 517 | 496
Interest expense | 49 | 83 | 121 | 177
Other segment items | 720 | 656 | 1,441 | 1,287
Total costs and expenses | 9,990 | 12,800 | 20,252 | 25,233
Earnings before income taxes | 119 | 199 | 287 | 269
Operating Businesses [Member] | McLane [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Revenues | 12,601 | 12,458 | 24,776 | 24,933
Costs and Expenses: |  |  |  |
Cost of sales and services | 11,505 | 11,430 | 22,606 | 22,873
Depreciation and amortization | 47 | 49 | 96 | 99
Interest expense | 6 | 5 | 13 | 10
Other segment items | 873 | 837 | 1,717 | 1,654
Total costs and expenses | 12,425 | 12,316 | 24,419 | 24,626
Earnings before income taxes | $ 176 | $ 142 | $ 357 | $ 307

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