Derivatives Derivatives (Effects on the Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	$ (2,228,000,000)	$ 1,349,000,000	$ 628,000,000
Net investment income	21,395,000,000	17,117,000,000	18,868,000,000
Net investment gains (losses)	1,529,000,000	(110,000,000)	444,000,000
Policyholder benefits and claims	(43,954,000,000)	(41,461,000,000)	(41,461,000,000)
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	(5,538,000,000)	(5,214,000,000)	(6,464,000,000)
Operating Expenses	12,586,000,000	13,150,000,000	13,689,000,000
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	(9,012,000,000)	6,262,000,000	14,639,000,000
Nonperformance Risk [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Embedded Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Embedded Derivative, Net	(17,000,000)	(10,000,000)	(116,000,000)
Fair Value Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	6,000,000	0	2,000,000
Net investment gains (losses)	(6,000,000)	(42,000,000)	(71,000,000)
Policyholder benefits and claims	(50,000,000)	(39,000,000)	30,000,000
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	(1,000,000)
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	64,000,000	40,000,000	20,000,000
Net investment gains (losses)	82,000,000	207,000,000	8,000,000
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	5,000,000	4,000,000	4,000,000
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	137,000,000	(286,000,000)	82,000,000
Net Investment Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	139,000,000	16,000,000	(36,000,000)
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] | Net Investment Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax		36,000,000	(32,000,000)
Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Net Investment Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	97,000,000
Interest Rate Contract [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	56,000,000	36,000,000	23,000,000
Net investment gains (losses)	84,000,000	121,000,000	4,000,000
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	3,000,000	2,000,000	2,000,000
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	(143,000,000)	(159,000,000)	(29,000,000)
Credit forwards [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	0	0	1,000,000
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	0	0	(1,000,000)
Currency Swap [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	8,000,000	4,000,000	(4,000,000)
Net investment gains (losses)	(403,000,000)	851,000,000	240,000,000
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	2,000,000	2,000,000	2,000,000
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	393,000,000	(857,000,000)	(238,000,000)
Derivative [Member] | Fair Value Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	0	0	0
Net investment gains (losses)	0	(47,000,000)	(72,000,000)
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Derivative [Member] | Interest rate swaps | Fair Value Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	6,000,000	(10,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	456,000,000	(360,000,000)	(339,000,000)
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	(1,000,000)
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Derivative [Member] | Currency Swap [Member] | Fair Value Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	50,000,000	(46,000,000)	(55,000,000)
Net investment gains (losses)	(191,000,000)	98,000,000	24,000,000
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Fixed Maturity Securities | Interest rate swaps | Fair Value Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	(6,000,000)	12,000,000	4,000,000
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	406,000,000	(399,000,000)	369,000,000
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Fixed Maturity Securities | Currency Swap [Member] | Fair Value Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	(44,000,000)	44,000,000	56,000,000
Net investment gains (losses)	185,000,000	(93,000,000)	(23,000,000)
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Foreign Currency Gain (Loss) [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	0	0	0
Net investment income	0	0	0
Net investment gains (losses)	401,000,000	(765,000,000)	(236,000,000)
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	0	0	0
Non-derivative [Domain] [Member] | Net Investment Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	42,000,000	(20,000,000)	(4,000,000)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) | Credit forwards [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	(14,000,000)	(102,000,000)	6,000,000
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) | Currency Swap [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	500,000,000	(445,000,000)	(278,000,000)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) | Interest rate swaps | Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	(599,000,000)	1,277,000,000	622,000,000
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	(3,959,000,000)	533,000,000	(157,000,000)
Net investment income	(54,000,000)	(34,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	(349,000,000)	(151,000,000)	164,000,000
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Foreign Exchange [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	(986,000,000)	(323,000,000)	(346,000,000)
Net investment income	0	0	0
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	2,000,000	3,000,000	2,000,000
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Credit derivatives — purchased | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	9,000,000	(28,000,000)	(38,000,000)
Net investment income	0	0	0
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Credit derivatives — written | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	41,000,000	(106,000,000)	248,000,000
Net investment income	0	0	0
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Equity Market Risk [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	(1,280,000,000)	(1,151,000,000)	(1,339,000,000)
Net investment income	(56,000,000)	(28,000,000)	0
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	(302,000,000)	(203,000,000)	205,000,000
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Foreign Currency Gain (Loss) [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	249,000,000	(8,000,000)	55,000,000
Net investment income	0	0	0
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Interest Rate Risk [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	(1,992,000,000)	2,149,000,000	1,263,000,000
Net investment income	2,000,000	(6,000,000)	(3,000,000)
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	49,000,000	(55,000,000)	39,000,000
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	0	0	0
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Nonoperating Income (Expense) [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	984,000,000	926,000,000	513,000,000
Net investment income	151,000,000	217,000,000	237,000,000
Net investment gains (losses)	0	0	0
Policyholder benefits and claims	(213,000,000)	(190,000,000)	(138,000,000)
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	(159,000,000)	(152,000,000)	(147,000,000)
Operating Expenses	0	0	0
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	0	0	0
Net Embedded Derivatives
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative, Gain (Loss) on Derivative, Net	747,000,000	(110,000,000)	272,000,000
Policyholder benefits and claims	0	0	0
Effects of Derivatives on Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Net investment income	167,000,000	223,000,000	256,000,000
Net investment gains (losses)	76,000,000	165,000,000	(63,000,000)
Policyholder benefits and claims	186,000,000	0	56,000,000
Policyholder Account Balance, Interest Expense	159,000,000	152,000,000	146,000,000
Operating Expenses	5,000,000	4,000,000	4,000,000
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax	$ 276,000,000	$ (270,000,000)	$ 46,000,000