1.0.0.3 true Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $) In Millions false 1 $ false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 false 2 $ false false USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 2 2 us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 3 2 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 30558000000 30558 false false 2 true true 25539000000 25539 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 13 2 us-gaap_Assets us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 297119000000 297119 false false 2 false true 267399000000 267399 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 14 2 us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 21 2 brka_IncomeTaxesPrincipallyDeferred brka false credit instant monetary Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date for a) payments made in advance for income taxes, which will be... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 19225000000 19225 false false 2 false true 10280000000 10280 false false Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date for a) payments made in advance for income taxes, which will be charged against earnings, b) income taxes previously overpaid to tax authorities representing refunds of overpayments or recoveries based on agreed-upon resolutions of disputes, c) the net cumulative amount for all deferred taxes arising from temporary differences between accounting income in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and tax-basis income, and d) unpaid sum of the known and estimated amounts payable to satisfy all currently due domestic and foreign income tax obligations. No authoritative reference available. false 22 2 us-gaap_Liabilities us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 161334000000 161334 false false 2 false true 153692000000 153692 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 23 2 us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 24 2 us-gaap_CommonStockValue us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 8000000 8 false false 2 false true 8000000 8 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 25 2 us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapitalCommonStock us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 27074000000 27074 false false 2 false true 27133000000 27133 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 26 2 us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 17793000000 17793 false false 2 false true 3954000000 3954 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 27 2 us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 86227000000 86227 false false 2 false true 78172000000 78172 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 28 2 us-gaap_StockholdersEquity us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 131102000000 131102 false false 2 false true 109267000000 109267 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 29 2 us-gaap_MinorityInterest us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4683000000 4683 false false 2 false true 4440000000 4440 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 30 2 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 135785000000 135785 false false 2 false true 113707000000 113707 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 31 2 us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 297119000000 297119 false false 2 false true 267399000000 267399 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 32 0 na true na na na No definition available. false true false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 33 2 us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 34 2 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 27917000000 27917 false false 2 false true 24302000000 24302 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 35 2 us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesFixedMaturities us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 32523000000 32523 false false 2 false true 27115000000 27115 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 36 2 us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesEquitySecurities us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 56562000000 56562 false false 2 false true 49073000000 49073 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 37 2 us-gaap_OtherInvestments us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 28980000000 28980 false false 2 false true 18419000000 18419 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 38 2 us-gaap_PremiumsAndOtherReceivablesNet us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 14792000000 14792 false false 2 false true 14925000000 14925 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 39 2 us-gaap_InventoryNet us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 6147000000 6147 false false 2 false true 7500000000 7500 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 40 2 us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 15720000000 15720 false false 2 false true 16703000000 16703 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 42 2 us-gaap_Goodwill us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 27614000000 27614 false false 2 false true 27477000000 27477 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 43 2 us-gaap_OtherAssets us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 13070000000 13070 false false 2 false true 13257000000 13257 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 44 2 us-gaap_Assets us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 223325000000 223325 false false 2 false true 198771000000 198771 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 45 2 us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 46 2 us-gaap_LiabilityForClaimsAndClaimsAdjustmentExpensePropertyCasualtyLiability us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 59416000000 59416 false false 2 false true 56620000000 56620 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 47 2 us-gaap_UnearnedPremiums us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 7925000000 7925 false false 2 false true 7861000000 7861 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 48 2 us-gaap_LiabilityForFuturePolicyBenefits us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 3802000000 3802 false false 2 false true 3619000000 3619 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 49 2 us-gaap_AccountsPayableAndAccruedLiabilities us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 15379000000 15379 false false 2 false true 14987000000 14987 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 51 2 us-gaap_NotesPayable us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 3719000000 3719 false false 2 false true 4349000000 4349 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 53 2 us-gaap_Liabilities us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 90241000000 90241 false false 2 false true 87436000000 87436 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 63 0 na true na na na No definition available. false true false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 64 2 us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 65 2 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 429000000 429 false false 2 false true 280000000 280 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 71 2 us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 30936000000 30936 false false 2 false true 28454000000 28454 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 73 2 us-gaap_Goodwill us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 5334000000 5334 false false 2 false true 5280000000 5280 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 74 2 us-gaap_OtherAssets us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 8072000000 8072 false false 2 false true 7556000000 7556 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 75 2 us-gaap_Assets us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 44771000000 44771 false false 2 false true 41570000000 41570 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 76 2 us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 80 2 us-gaap_AccountsPayableAndAccruedLiabilities us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 5895000000 5895 false false 2 false true 6175000000 6175 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 82 2 us-gaap_NotesPayable us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 19579000000 19579 false false 2 false true 19145000000 19145 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 84 2 us-gaap_Liabilities us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 25474000000 25474 false false 2 false true 25320000000 25320 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 94 0 na true na na na No definition available. false true false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 95 2 us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 96 2 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2212000000 2212 false false 2 false true 957000000 957 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 97 2 us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesFixedMaturities us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4608000000 4608 false false 2 false true 4517000000 4517 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 99 2 us-gaap_OtherInvestments us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 3620000000 3620 false false 2 false true 3116000000 3116 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 103 2 us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableNetReportedAmount us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 13989000000 13989 false false 2 false true 13942000000 13942 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 104 2 us-gaap_Goodwill us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1024000000 1024 false false 2 false true 1024000000 1024 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 105 2 us-gaap_OtherAssets us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 3570000000 3570 false false 2 false true 3502000000 3502 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 106 2 us-gaap_Assets us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 29023000000 29023 false false 2 false true 27058000000 27058 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 107 2 us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 111 2 us-gaap_AccountsPayableAndAccruedLiabilities us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 2514000000 2514 false false 2 false true 2656000000 2656 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 112 2 us-gaap_DerivativeLiabilities us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 9269000000 9269 false false 2 false true 14612000000 14612 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 113 2 us-gaap_NotesPayable us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 14611000000 14611 false false 2 false true 13388000000 13388 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 115 2 us-gaap_Liabilities us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 26394000000 26394 false false 2 true true 30656000000 30656 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true false 2 59 false Millions UnKnown UnKnown false true