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Notes payable and other borrowings (Detail) € in Millions, £ in Millions, $ in Millions, ¥ in Billions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2023 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2023 JPY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings		€ 6,850	£ 1,750	¥ 1,259
Principal payments on debt - 2024	$ 13,859
Principal payments on debt - 2025	7,048
Principal payments on debt - 2026	6,053
Principal payments on debt - 2027	4,549
Principal payments on debt - 2028	6,433
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	18,781				$ 21,393
Principal payments on debt - 2024	1,900
Principal payments on debt - 2025	2,000
Principal payments on debt - 2026	4,400
Principal payments on debt - 2027	2,000
Principal payments on debt - 2028	1,400
Insurance and Other [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	42,692				46,538
Principal payments on debt - 2024	3,295
Principal payments on debt - 2025	3,076
Principal payments on debt - 2026	4,499
Principal payments on debt - 2027	2,877
Principal payments on debt - 2028	1,413
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 3,740				6,231
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	3.50%	3.50%	3.50%	3.50%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2025
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2047
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 6,145				7,344
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	1.10%	1.10%	1.10%	1.10%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2024
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2041
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Japanese Yen Denominated [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 8,896				7,818
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	0.80%	0.80%	0.80%	0.80%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Japanese Yen Denominated [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2024
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Japanese Yen Denominated [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2060
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 4,696				5,967
Short-term debt	$ 1,187				1,310
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	4.50%	4.50%	4.50%	4.50%
Short-term borrowings, weighted average interest rate	7.30%	7.30%	7.30%	7.30%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2024
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2051
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 14,463				14,458
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	3.60%	3.60%	3.60%	3.60%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2027
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2052
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 1,374				1,332
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	1.80%	1.80%	1.80%	1.80%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2030
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2034
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Great Britain Pound Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 2,191				2,078
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	2.50%	2.50%	2.50%	2.50%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Great Britain Pound Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2039
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Great Britain Pound Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2059
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 85,579				76,206
Principal payments on debt - 2024	10,564
Principal payments on debt - 2025	3,972
Principal payments on debt - 2026	1,554
Principal payments on debt - 2027	1,672
Principal payments on debt - 2028	$ 5,020
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	4.40%	4.40%	4.40%	4.40%
Senior unsecured debt	$ 13,101				13,996
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2025
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2053
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 39,072				37,639
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	4.40%	4.40%	4.40%	4.40%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2024
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2064
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term debt	$ 4,148				1,119
Short-term borrowings, weighted average interest rate	5.90%	5.90%	5.90%	5.90%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Pilot Travel Centers ("PTC") and Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 5,776
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	7.20%	7.20%	7.20%	7.20%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Pilot Travel Centers ("PTC") and Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2024
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Pilot Travel Centers ("PTC") and Subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2028
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 23,482				$ 23,452
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	4.60%	4.60%	4.60%	4.60%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2024
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2097