Financial Instruments Investment Segment and Icahn Enterprises Holdings Narrative (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Investment Funds [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Maximum payout amounts relating to put options written	$ 8,800,000,000	$ 1,700,000,000	$ 195,000,000
Open Option Contracts Written, Covered Put Options on Existing Short Positions	8,100,000,000	1,400,000,000
Unrealized gains on open option contracts written	112,000,000	24,000,000	200,000
Fair value of derivative instruments with credit-risk related contingent features in a liability position	92,000,000	42,000,000	60,000,000
Cash collateral posted for derivative positions	530,000,000	257,000,000	248,000,000
Investment Funds [Member] \| Credit default swaps [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Term of credit default swaps	1 year	2 years	2 years
Maximum exposure related to credit default swaps, percentage of notional amounts	37.10%	48.00%	39.40%
Investment Funds [Member] \| Credit default swaps [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Maximum notional amount of credit default swaps	8,000,000	8,000,000	32,000,000
Credit Risk Derivatives, at Fair Value, Net		100,000	1,000,000
Icahn Enterprises Holdings [Member] \| Futures Index Spread [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Liability Derivatives, Gross		$ 0	$ 22,000,000
Federal-Mogul [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Maximum Length of Time Hedged in Price Risk Cash Flow Hedge	1 year	1 year
Maximum Length of Time Hedged in Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge	P1Y	P1Y
Federal-Mogul [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member] \| Interest rate swap contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Maximum length of time hedged in interest rate cash flow hedge	5 years	5 years

Maximum Potential Future Exposure on Credit Risk Derivatives, Percentage of Notional Amounts

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- Definition

Open Option Contracts Written, Covered Put Options on Existing Short Positions

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The maximum payout of the open option contracts written for the investment.

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- Definition

The aggregate fair value of assets that are already posted, at the end of the reporting period, as collateral for derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 133

-Paragraph 44D

-Subparagraph c

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

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- Definition

Fair value as of the balance sheet date of credit risk derivative liabilities, which includes all such derivative instruments in hedging and non-hedging relationships that are recognized as liabilities on the balance sheet.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 825

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 10

-Subparagraph (a)

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Fair value as of the balance sheet date of credit risk derivative assets, net of credit risk derivative liabilities, which includes all such derivative instruments in hedging and nonhedging relationships that are recognized on the balance sheet.

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- Definition

Fair value of derivative liability, presented on a gross basis even when the derivative instrument is subject to master netting arrangements and qualifies for net presentation in the statement of financial position.

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-Number 133

-Paragraph 205G

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- Definition

Maximum length of time over which the entity is hedging its exposure to the variability in future cash flows for forecasted transactions, excluding those forecasted transactions related to the payment of variable interest on existing financial instruments.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 30

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-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (d)

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Maximum period the entity is hedging its exposure to the variability in future cash flows for forecasted transactions, excluding those forecasted transactions related to the payment of variable interest on existing financial instruments, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Maximum period covered by credit risk derivative contract, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Aggregate notional amount of credit risk derivatives.

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-Topic 815

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-Glossary Notional Amount

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- Definition

The net change in the difference between the fair value and the carrying value, or in the comparative fair values, of derivative instruments, including options, swaps, futures, and forward contracts, held at each balance sheet date, that was included in earnings for the period.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 95

-Paragraph 28

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