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Notes payable and other borrowings - Narrative (Detail) € in Millions, £ in Millions, $ in Millions, ¥ in Billions	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2026 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2026 JPY (¥)	Mar. 31, 2026 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2025 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2026 JPY (¥)	Mar. 31, 2026 EUR (€)	Mar. 31, 2026 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2025 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Changes in short term borrowings, net			$ (961)	$ (415)
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings					¥ 2,343.0	€ 4,850	£ 1,750
Line of Credit and Commercial Paper Facilities [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unused and available lines of credit			11,700
Line of Credit and Commercial Paper Facilities [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unused and available lines of credit			10,200
Insurance and Other [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings			42,835					$ 45,763
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Subsidiaries Excluding Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Guarantee obligation			1,700
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings			$ 1,238					1,321
Weighted average interest rate, percentage			5.10%		5.10%	5.10%	5.10%
Notes payable and other borrowings			$ 3,492					3,518
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of borrowings				2,500
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gains (loss) attributable to changes in foreign currency exchange rates			$ 325	$ (936)
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Debt Due 2029 to 2056 [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of borrowings	$ 844	¥ 133.9
Principal amount of debt issued	$ 1,700	¥ 272.3
Interest rate during period	2.40%	2.40%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year			2026
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Debt Due 2029 to 2056 [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2029	2029
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year			2051
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Debt Due 2029 to 2056 [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2056	2056
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings			$ 86,051					83,318
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings			$ 1,005					1,997
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate, percentage			4.90%		4.90%	4.90%	4.90%
Notes payable and other borrowings			$ 50,024					$ 45,798
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| BNSF [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of borrowings			503
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of borrowings			210
Changes in short term borrowings, net			992
Principal amount of debt issued			$ 4,600
Weighted average interest rate, percentage			5.80%		5.80%	5.80%	5.80%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year			2026
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year			2029
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year			2064
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year			2056