1.0.0.3 true Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity (USD $) In Millions false 1 $ true false false false Common stock and capital in excess of par value us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis xbrldi http://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldi us-gaap_CommonStockIncludingAdditionalPaidInCapitalMember us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis explicitMember USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 false 2 $ true false false false Accumulated other comprehensive income us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis xbrldi http://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldi us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis explicitMember USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 false 3 $ true false false false Retained earnings us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis xbrldi http://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldi us-gaap_RetainedEarningsMember us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis explicitMember USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 false 4 $ true false false false Total Berkshire Hathaway shareholders' equity us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis xbrldi http://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldi us-gaap_ParentMember us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis explicitMember USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 false 5 $ true false false false Non-controlling interests us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis xbrldi http://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldi us-gaap_NoncontrollingInterestMember us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis explicitMember USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 false 6 $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 5 3 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false true false false true false false 1 true true 26530000000 26530 true false 2 true true 22977000000 22977 true false 3 true true 58912000000 58912 true false 4 true true 108419000000 108419 true false 5 true true 2262000000 2262 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 6 3 us-gaap_ProfitLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false true 13213000000 13213 true false 4 false true 13213000000 13213 true false 5 false true 354000000 354 true false 6 false true 13567000000 13567 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 7 3 us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTaxPeriodIncreaseDecrease us-gaap true na duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false true -1357000000 -1357 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false true -1357000000 -1357 true false 5 false true 35000000 35 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 9 3 brka_StockIssuedDuringPeriodValueNewIssuesAndOther brka false credit duration monetary Value of new stock issued during the period and other transactions which are not separately disclosed or provided for... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 430000000 430 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false true 430000000 430 true false 5 false false 0 0 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false Value of new stock issued during the period and other transactions which are not separately disclosed or provided for elsewhere in the taxonomy. No authoritative reference available. false 10 3 us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfInitialAdoptionOfNewAccountingPrinciple us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false true 28000000 28 true false 4 false true 28000000 28 true false 5 false false 0 0 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 11 3 us-gaap_NoncontrollingInterestItemsAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false false 0 0 true false 5 false false 0 0 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 13 4 brka_InterestsAcquiredAndOtherTransactions brka false na duration monetary Changes in shareholder equity as a result of redeeming or purchasing the interests of non-controlling shareholders. ... false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false false 0 0 true false 5 false true 17000000 17 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false Changes in shareholder equity as a result of redeeming or purchasing the interests of non-controlling shareholders. Additionally, this element represents other transactions which are not separately disclosed or provided for elsewhere in the taxonomy. No authoritative reference available. false 14 3 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false true false false false true false 1 false true 26960000000 26960 true false 2 false true 21620000000 21620 true false 3 false true 72153000000 72153 true false 4 false true 120733000000 120733 true false 5 false true 2668000000 2668 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 6 3 us-gaap_ProfitLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false true 4994000000 4994 true false 4 false true 4994000000 4994 true false 5 false true 602000000 602 true false 6 false true 5596000000 5596 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 7 3 us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTaxPeriodIncreaseDecrease us-gaap true na duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false true -17267000000 -17267 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false true -17267000000 -17267 true false 5 false true -255000000 -255 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 8 3 us-gaap_NewAccountingPronouncementOrChangeInAccountingPrincipleCumulativeEffectOfChangeOnEquityOrNetAssets us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false true -399000000 -399 true false 3 false true 1025000000 1025 true false 4 false true 626000000 626 true false 5 false false 0 0 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 9 3 brka_StockIssuedDuringPeriodValueNewIssuesAndOther brka false credit duration monetary Value of new stock issued during the period and other transactions which are not separately disclosed or provided for... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 181000000 181 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false true 181000000 181 true false 5 false false 0 0 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false Value of new stock issued during the period and other transactions which are not separately disclosed or provided for elsewhere in the taxonomy. No authoritative reference available. false 10 3 us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfInitialAdoptionOfNewAccountingPrinciple us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false false 0 0 true false 5 false true 128000000 128 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 11 3 us-gaap_NoncontrollingInterestItemsAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false false 0 0 true false 5 false false 0 0 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 12 4 brka_MinorityInterestIncreaseFromBusinessAcquisitions brka false credit duration monetary Increase in noncontrolling interest as a result of new business acquisitions. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false false 0 0 true false 5 false true 1568000000 1568 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false Increase in noncontrolling interest as a result of new business acquisitions. No authoritative reference available. false 13 4 brka_InterestsAcquiredAndOtherTransactions brka false na duration monetary Changes in shareholder equity as a result of redeeming or purchasing the interests of non-controlling shareholders. ... false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false false 0 0 true false 5 false true -271000000 -271 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false Changes in shareholder equity as a result of redeeming or purchasing the interests of non-controlling shareholders. Additionally, this element represents other transactions which are not separately disclosed or provided for elsewhere in the taxonomy. No authoritative reference available. false 14 3 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false true false false false true false 1 false true 27141000000 27141 true false 2 false true 3954000000 3954 true false 3 false true 78172000000 78172 true false 4 false true 109267000000 109267 true false 5 false true 4440000000 4440 true false 6 false true 113707000000 113707 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 6 3 us-gaap_ProfitLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false true 8055000000 8055 true false 4 false true 8055000000 8055 true false 5 false true 386000000 386 true false 6 false true 8441000000 8441 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 7 3 us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTaxPeriodIncreaseDecrease us-gaap true na duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false true 13729000000 13729 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false true 13729000000 13729 true false 5 false true 199000000 199 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 9 3 brka_StockIssuedDuringPeriodValueNewIssuesAndOther brka false credit duration monetary Value of new stock issued during the period and other transactions which are not separately disclosed or provided for... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 172000000 172 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false true 172000000 172 true false 5 false false 0 0 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false Value of new stock issued during the period and other transactions which are not separately disclosed or provided for elsewhere in the taxonomy. No authoritative reference available. false 11 3 us-gaap_NoncontrollingInterestItemsAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 true false 2 false false 0 0 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false false 0 0 true false 5 false false 0 0 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 13 4 brka_InterestsAcquiredAndOtherTransactions brka false na duration monetary Changes in shareholder equity as a result of redeeming or purchasing the interests of non-controlling shareholders. ... false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -231000000 -231 true false 2 false true 110000000 110 true false 3 false false 0 0 true false 4 false true -121000000 -121 true false 5 false true -342000000 -342 true false 6 false false 0 0 false false Changes in shareholder equity as a result of redeeming or purchasing the interests of non-controlling shareholders. Additionally, this element represents other transactions which are not separately disclosed or provided for elsewhere in the taxonomy. No authoritative reference available. false 14 3 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false true false false false true false 1 true true 27082000000 27082 true false 2 true true 17793000000 17793 true false 3 true true 86227000000 86227 true false 4 true true 131102000000 131102 true false 5 true true 4683000000 4683 true false 6 true true 135785000000 135785 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false false 6 23 false Millions UnKnown UnKnown false true