Business segment data (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of revenues and earnings before income taxes by segment

Our operating businesses include a large and diverse group of insurance, freight rail transportation, utilities and energy, manufacturing, service and retailing businesses. We organize our reportable business segments in a manner that reflects how management views those business activities. Certain businesses are grouped together for segment reporting based upon similar products or product lines and marketing, selling and distribution characteristics, even though those business units are operated under separate local management. We acquired control of Pilot on January 31, 2023. In this presentation, revenues and pre-tax earnings of the Pilot segment in 2023 are for the eight months ending September 30. Prior to January 31, 2023, our earnings from Pilot were determined under the equity method and were included in earnings from non-controlled businesses. Revenues and earnings before income taxes by segment for the third quarter and first nine months of 2024 and 2023 were as follows (in millions).

	Third Quarter				First Nine Months
	2024		2023		2024		2023
Revenues of Operating Businesses
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	10,699	$	9,844	$	31,402	$	29,184
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		4,685		4,449		13,882		12,643
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		6,671		7,067		20,198		19,890
Investment income		4,609		2,948		11,850		8,258
Total insurance		26,664		24,308		77,332		69,975
BNSF		5,940		5,847		17,405		17,694
BHE		7,335		7,281		20,104		20,094
Pilot		10,630		13,166		36,132		37,428
Manufacturing		19,675		19,174		58,044		56,565
McLane		12,723		13,477		37,656		39,419
Service and retailing		9,842		9,946		29,492		30,018
		92,809		93,199		276,165		271,193
Reconciliation to consolidated amount
Corporate, eliminations and other		186		11		352		(87	)
	$	92,995	$	93,210	$	276,517	$	271,106

	Third Quarter						First Nine Months
	2024			2023			2024			2023
Earnings Before Income Taxes of Operating Businesses
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	2,033		$	1,053		$	5,747		$	2,270
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		(689	)		510			76			1,050
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		(310	)		1,437			1,384			2,495
Investment income		4,594			2,933			11,814			8,230
Total insurance		5,628			5,933			19,021			14,045
BNSF		1,846			1,608			4,987			4,872
BHE		1,101			(147	)		1,859			700
Pilot		217			291			486			613
Manufacturing		3,135			3,077			9,178			8,791
McLane		145			116			452			358
Service and retailing		877			1,186			2,754			3,669
		12,949			12,064			38,737			33,048
Reconciliation to consolidated amount
Investment gains (losses)		20,514			(29,778	)		46,247			38,041
Interest expense, not allocated to segments		(102	)		(100	)		(317	)		(317	)
Non-controlled businesses		222			262			967			1,461
Corporate, eliminations and other		(1,075	)		593			717			995
	$	32,508		$	(16,959	)	$	86,351		$	73,228