1.0.0.3 false Goodwill false 1 $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 2 0 brka_GoodwillAbstract brka false na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 3 1 us-gaap_ScheduleOfGoodwillTextBlock us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 <table cellpadding="0" style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td valign="top" align="left" width="4%"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2"><b>(10)&#160;</b></font></td> <td valign="top" align="left"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2"><b>Goodwill </b></font></td></tr></table> <p style="MARGIN-TOP: 6px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px; TEXT-INDENT: 4%"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">A reconciliation of the change in the carrying value of goodwill is as follows (in millions). </font></p> <p style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">&#160;</p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" align="center" border="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="86%"/> <td valign="bottom" width="2%"/> <td/> <td/> <td valign="bottom" width="2%"/> <td/> <td/></tr> <tr> <td valign="bottom"><font size="1">&#160;</font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font size="1">&#160;&#160;</font></td> <td style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" valign="bottom" align="center" colspan="2"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="1"><b>2009</b></font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font size="1">&#160;&#160;</font></td> <td style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" valign="bottom" align="center" colspan="2"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="1"><b>2008</b></font></td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#cceeff"> <td valign="top"> <p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; TEXT-INDENT: -1em"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">Balance at beginning of year</font></p></td> <td valign="bottom"><font size="1">&#160;&#160;</font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">$</font></td> <td valign="bottom" align="right"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">33,781</font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font size="1">&#160;&#160;</font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">$</font></td> <td valign="bottom" align="right"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">32,862</font></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top"> <p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; TEXT-INDENT: -1em"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">Acquisitions of businesses and other</font></p></td> <td valign="bottom"><font size="1">&#160;&#160;</font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">&#160;</font></td> <td valign="bottom" align="right"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">191</font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font size="1">&#160;&#160;</font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">&#160;</font></td> <td valign="bottom" align="right"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">919</font></td></tr> <tr style="FONT-SIZE: 1px"> <td valign="bottom"/> <td valign="bottom">&#160;&#160;</td> <td style="BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid" valign="bottom">&#160;</td> <td style="BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid" valign="bottom">&#160;</td> <td valign="bottom">&#160;&#160;</td> <td style="BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid" valign="bottom">&#160;</td> <td style="BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid" valign="bottom">&#160;</td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#cceeff"> <td valign="top"> <p style="MARGIN-LEFT: 1em; TEXT-INDENT: -1em"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">Balance at end of year</font></p></td> <td valign="bottom"><font size="1">&#160;&#160;</font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">$</font></td> <td valign="bottom" align="right"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">33,972</font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font size="1">&#160;&#160;</font></td> <td valign="bottom"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">$</font></td> <td valign="bottom" align="right"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman" size="2">33,781</font></td></tr> <tr style="FONT-SIZE: 1px"> <td valign="bottom"/> <td valign="bottom">&#160;&#160;</td> <td style="BORDER-TOP: #000000 3px double" valign="bottom">&#160;</td> <td style="BORDER-TOP: #000000 3px double" valign="bottom">&#160;</td> <td valign="bottom">&#160;&#160;</td> <td style="BORDER-TOP: #000000 3px double" valign="bottom">&#160;</td> <td style="BORDER-TOP: #000000 3px double" valign="bottom">&#160;</td></tr></table> (10)&#160; Goodwill A reconciliation of the change in the carrying value of goodwill is as follows (in millions). false false No definition available. 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