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Description of Business and Basis of Presentation | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2011
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation [Abstract] |
Description of Business and Basis of Presentation [Text Block] | Description of Business and Basis of Presentation. General Icahn Enterprises L.P. (“Icahn Enterprises” or the “Company”) is a master limited partnership formed in Delaware on February 17, 1987. We own a 99% limited partner interest in Icahn Enterprises Holdings L.P. (“Icahn Enterprises Holdings”). Icahn Enterprises Holdings and its subsidiaries own substantially all of our assets and liabilities and conduct substantially all of our operations. Icahn Enterprises G.P. Inc. (“Icahn Enterprises GP”), our sole general partner, which is owned and controlled by Mr. Carl C. Icahn, owns a 1% general partner interest in both us and Icahn Enterprises Holdings, representing an aggregate 1.99% general partner interest in us and Icahn Enterprises Holdings. As of September 30, 2011, affiliates of Mr. Icahn owned 79,238,262 of our depositary units which represented approximately 92.6% of our outstanding depositary units. We are a diversified holding company owning subsidiaries currently engaged in the following continuing operating businesses: Investment Management, Automotive, Gaming, Railcar, Food Packaging, Metals, Real Estate and Home Fashion. We also report the results of our Holding Company, which includes the unconsolidated results of Icahn Enterprises and Icahn Enterprises Holdings, and investment activity and expenses associated with the Holding Company. Further information regarding our continuing reportable segments is contained in Note 2, “Operating Units,” and Note 14, “Segment Reporting.” The accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 (“fiscal 2010”). The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) related to interim financial statements. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The financial information contained herein is unaudited; however, management believes all adjustments have been made that are necessary to present fairly the results for the interim periods. All such adjustments are of a normal and recurring nature. Certain reclassifications from the prior year presentation have been made to conform to the current year presentation. Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of (i) Icahn Enterprises and (ii) the wholly and majority owned subsidiaries of Icahn Enterprises, in addition to those entities in which we have a controlling interest as a general partner interest or in which we are the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity (“VIE”). In evaluating whether we have a controlling financial interest in entities in which we would consolidate, we consider the following: (1) for voting interest entities, we consolidate these entities in which we own a majority of the voting interests; (2) for VIEs of which we are considered the primary beneficiary of such entities (see section below entitled, "Adoption of New Accounting Standards," and Note 4, “Investments and Related Matters-Investment Management,” for further discussion regarding the accounting and reporting of our VIEs); and (3) for limited partnership entities that are not considered VIEs, we consolidate these entities if we are the general partner of such entities and for which no substantive kick-out rights (the rights underlying the limited partners' ability to dissolve the limited partnership or otherwise remove the general partners are collectively referred to as “kick-out” rights) or participating rights exist. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. We conduct and plan to continue to conduct our activities in such a manner as not to be deemed an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “'40 Act”). Therefore, no more than 40% of our total assets can be invested in investment securities, as such term is defined in the '40 Act. In addition, we do not invest or intend to invest in securities as our primary business. We intend to structure our investments to continue to be taxed as a partnership rather than as a corporation under the applicable publicly traded partnership rules of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (the “Code”). Because of the nature of our businesses, the results of operations for quarterly and other interim periods are not indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. Variations in the amount and timing of gains and losses on our investments can be significant. Fair Value of Financial Instruments The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash, accounts receivable, due from brokers, accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities and due to brokers are deemed to be reasonable estimates of their fair values because of their short-term nature. See Note 4, “Investments and Related Matters,” and Note 5, “Fair Value Measurements,” for a detailed discussion of our investments. The fair value of our long-term debt is based on the quoted market prices for the same or similar issues or on the current rates offered to us for debt of the same remaining maturities. The carrying value and estimated fair value of our long-term debt as of September 30, 2011 was approximately $6.5 billion and $6.3 billion, respectively. The carrying value and estimated fair value of our long-term debt as of December 31, 2010 was approximately $6.5 billion and $6.1 billion, respectively. Restricted Cash Our restricted cash balance was approximately $2.4 billion and $1.6 billion as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Other than the accounting policies discussed below, there have been no material changes to our significant accounting policies or estimates that were included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2010. Revenue Recognition-Railcar Revenues from railcar sales are recognized following completion of manufacturing, inspection, customer acceptance and title transfer, which is when the risk for any damage or loss with respect to the railcars passes to the customer. Paint and lining work may be outsourced and, as a result, the sale for the railcar may be recorded after customer acceptance when it leaves the manufacturing plant and the sale for the lining work may be separately recorded following completion of that work by the independent contractor, customer acceptance and final shipment. Revenues from railcar leasing are recognized on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease. Revenues from railcar and industrial components are recorded at the time of product shipment, in accordance with ARI's contractual terms. Revenue for railcar maintenance services is recognized upon completion and shipment of railcars from ARI's plants. ARI does not currently bundle railcar service contracts with new railcar sales. Revenue for fleet management services is recognized as performed. Revenues related to consulting type contracts are accounted for under the percentage-of-completion method. Profits expected to be realized on these contracts are based on the total contract revenues and costs based on the estimate of the percentage of project completion. Revenues recognized in excess of amounts billed are recorded to unbilled revenues and included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Billings in excess of revenues recognized on in-progress contracts are recorded to unbilled costs and included in accrued expenses and other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. These estimates are reviewed and revised periodically throughout the term of the contracts and any adjustments are recorded on a cumulative basis in the period the revisions are made. Adoption of New Accounting Standards In December 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued amended standards for determining whether to consolidate a VIE. This standard affects all entities currently within the scope of the Consolidation Topic of the FASB Accounting Standards Codification ("FASB ASC"), as well as qualifying special-purpose entities that are currently excluded from the scope of the Consolidation Topic of the FASB ASC. This standard amends the evaluation criteria to identify the primary beneficiary of the VIE and requires ongoing reassessment of whether an enterprise is the primary beneficiary of such VIEs. In addition, this amendment deferred the application of this standard for a reporting entity's interest in an entity if the reporting entity met certain attributes of an investment company. This standard is effective as of the beginning of the first fiscal year beginning after November 15, 2009. We determined that certain entities within our Investment Management segment previously met the deferral criteria and, accordingly, we applied the consolidation guidance before the issuance of this standard. Effective March 31, 2011, we applied this guidance for certain entities within our Investment Management segment in determining whether we are considered the primary beneficiary of such entities. The adoption of this standard did not have an impact on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. See Note 2, "Operating Units-Investment Management," for further discussion. Recently Issued Accounting Standards In May 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update ("ASU") No. 2011-04, which amends ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures. This ASU clarifies among other things, the intent about the application of existing fair value requirements, including those related to highest and best use concepts, and also expands the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. This ASU clarifies that a reporting entity should disclose quantitative information about significant unobservable inputs used in a fair value measurement that is categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. Additionally, this ASU expands the disclosures for fair value measurements categorized within Level 3 where a reporting entity will be required to include a description of the valuation processes used and the sensitivity of the fair value measurement to changes in unobservable inputs and the interrelationships between those unobservable inputs, if any. Additional disclosure will also be required for any transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy of fair value measurements on a gross basis as well as additional disclosure of the level in the fair value hierarchy of assets and liabilities that are not recorded at fair value. For many of the requirements, the FASB does not intend for this ASU to result in a change in the application of the requirements in ASC Topic 820. The guidance in this ASU is to be applied prospectively and is effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is not permitted. The adoption of this ASU will not have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, which amends ASC Topic 220, Comprehensive Income. The guidance in this ASU is intended to increase the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income in the financial statements by presenting the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. This ASU eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity. The guidance in this ASU does not change the items that must be reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income. Upon adoption, this update is to be applied retrospectively and is effective during interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this ASU will not have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-08, which amends ASC Topic 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other. The guidance in this ASU permits an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test described in ASC Topic 350. Under the amendments in this ASU, an entity is not required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless the entity determines that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. The amendments are effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is permitted, including for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed as of a date before September 15, 2011, if an entity’s financial statements for the most recent annual or interim period have not yet been issued or, for nonpublic entities, have not yet been made available for issuance. The adoption of this ASU will not have a material impact on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Filing Status of Subsidiaries Federal-Mogul Corporation (“Federal-Mogul”), American Railcar Industries, Inc. (“ARI”) and Tropicana Entertainment Inc. (“Tropicana”) are each a reporting entity under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and file annual, quarterly and current reports and proxy and information statements. Each of these reports is publicly available at www.sec.gov.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) -Number 22 -Paragraph 8 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Publisher AICPA -Number 94-6 -Paragraph 10 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Publisher FASB -Number 46R -Paragraph 4, 14, 15 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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