Segment Information - Assets by Segment (Details) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Assets	[1]	$ 52,439	$ 56,500
Number of operating segments | segment		4
Operating segments
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Assets		$ 50,831	53,431
Operating segments | Oilfield Services
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Assets		30,941	32,841
Operating segments | Oilfield Equipment
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Assets		7,298	7,613
Operating segments | Turbo-machinery & Process Solutions
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Assets		8,529	9,147
Operating segments | Digital Solutions
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Assets		4,063	3,830
Corporate and eliminations
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Assets		$ 1,608	$ 3,069

[1] Total assets include $896 million and $1,124 million of assets held on behalf of GE, of which $747 million and $997 million is cash and cash equivalents and $149 million and $127 million is investment securities at December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, and a corresponding amount of liability is reported in short-term borrowings. See "Note 18. Related Party Transactions" for further details.