Available-for-Sale Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	May. 31, 2014	May. 31, 2015	May. 31, 2014	Aug. 31, 2014
Summary of cost and fair value of available-for-sale securities [Abstract]
Cost		$ 799		$ 717
Unrealized gains		577		170
Currency Translation Adjustments		(2)		0
Unrealized losses		0		0
Fair value		1,374		887
Available for sale securities, current		$ 84
AmerisourceBergen Common Stock [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Maximum number of shares in minority equity position		19,859,795
Percentage of rights to acquire common share (in hundredths)		7.00%
Price of shares acquired through open market transactions	$ 63		$ 493
Percentage of outstanding common stock held (in hundredths)		5.20%
Number of shares held (in shares)		11,500,000
Summary of cost and fair value of available-for-sale securities [Abstract]
Cost		$ 717		717
Unrealized gains		573		170
Currency Translation Adjustments		0		0
Unrealized losses		0		0
Fair value		1,290		$ 887
Other Investments [Member]
Summary of cost and fair value of available-for-sale securities [Abstract]
Cost		82
Unrealized gains		4
Currency Translation Adjustments		(2)
Unrealized losses		0
Fair value		$ 84