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Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

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Reflects the total carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of debt having initial terms less than one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

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Notes payable and other borrowings (Detail) € in Millions, £ in Millions, $ in Millions, ¥ in Billions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2024 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2024 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2024 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2024 JPY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal payments on debt - 2025	$ 9,366
Principal payments on debt - 2026	5,748
Principal payments on debt - 2027	6,420
Principal payments on debt - 2028	3,963
Principal payments on debt - 2029	6,326
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	21,091				$ 18,781
Principal payments on debt - 2025	1,900
Principal payments on debt - 2026	4,200
Principal payments on debt - 2027	4,000
Principal payments on debt - 2028	2,200
Principal payments on debt - 2029	2,600
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings		€ 5,850	£ 1,750	¥ 1,988
Insurance and Other [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	44,885				48,468
Principal payments on debt - 2025	4,334
Principal payments on debt - 2026	4,313
Principal payments on debt - 2027	4,788
Principal payments on debt - 2028	2,214
Principal payments on debt - 2029	2,595
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 3,749				3,740
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	$ 4,733				6,145
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	2025
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	$ 12,609				8,896
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	1.00%	1.00%	1.00%	1.00%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Japanese Yen Denominated [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2025
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	$ 4,564				4,696
Short-term debt	$ 1,315				1,187
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	4.50%	4.50%	4.50%	4.50%
Short-term borrowings, weighted average interest rate	6.30%	6.30%	6.30%	6.30%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2025
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2051
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Pilot Travel Centers ("PTC") and Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings					5,776
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	$ 14,469				14,463
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	$ 1,290				1,374
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	$ 2,156				2,191
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	$ 79,877				79,803
Principal payments on debt - 2025	5,032
Principal payments on debt - 2026	1,435
Principal payments on debt - 2027	1,632
Principal payments on debt - 2028	1,749
Principal payments on debt - 2029	$ 3,731
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	$ 13,107				13,101
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	$ 42,150				39,072
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	4.60%	4.60%	4.60%	4.60%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2025
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	$ 1,123				4,148
Short-term borrowings, weighted average interest rate	5.00%	5.00%	5.00%	5.00%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 23,497				$ 23,482
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	4.70%	4.70%	4.70%	4.70%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2025
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