Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation.

General

Icahn Enterprises L.P. (“Icahn Enterprises”) is a master limited partnership formed in Delaware on February 17, 1987. Icahn Enterprises Holdings L.P. (“Icahn Enterprises Holdings”) is a limited partnership formed in Delaware on February 17, 1987. References to "we," "our" or "us" herein include both Icahn Enterprises and Icahn Enterprises Holdings and their subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.

Icahn Enterprises owns a 99% limited partner interest in Icahn Enterprises Holdings. Icahn Enterprises G.P. Inc. (“Icahn Enterprises GP”), which is owned and controlled by Mr. Carl C. Icahn, owns a 1% general partner interest in each of Icahn Enterprises and Icahn Enterprises Holdings. Icahn Enterprises Holdings and its subsidiaries own substantially all of our assets and liabilities and conduct substantially all of our operations. Therefore, the financial results of Icahn Enterprises and Icahn Enterprises Holdings are substantially the same, with differences relating primarily to debt, as discussed further in Note 10, "Debt," and the allocation of the general partner interest, which is reflected as an aggregate 1.99% general partner interest in the financial statements of Icahn Enterprises. In addition to the above, Mr. Icahn and his affiliates owned 117,033,818, or approximately 89.0%, of Icahn Enterprises' outstanding depositary units as of December 31, 2015.

We are a diversified holding company owning subsidiaries currently engaged in the following continuing operating businesses: Investment, Automotive, Energy, Metals, Railcar, Gaming, Mining, Food Packaging, Real Estate and Home Fashion. We also report the results of our Holding Company, which includes the results of certain subsidiaries of Icahn Enterprises and Icahn Enterprises Holdings (unless otherwise noted), and investment activity and expenses associated with the Holding Company. Further information regarding our continuing reportable segments is contained in Note 3, “Operating Units,” and Note 13, “Segment and Geographic Reporting.”

We conduct and plan to continue to conduct our activities in such a manner as not to be deemed an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “'40 Act”). Therefore, no more than 40% of our total assets can be invested in investment securities, as such term is defined in the '40 Act. In addition, we do not invest or intend to invest in securities as our primary business. We intend to structure our investments to continue to be taxed as a partnership rather than as a corporation under the applicable publicly traded partnership rules of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (the “Code”).

During the year ended December 31, 2015, our Automotive made several acquisitions which were not material, individually or in the aggregate, to our consolidated financial statements. In addition, during 2015, we acquired a controlling interest in Ferrous Resources Limited ("Ferrous Resources"), constituting our Mining segment, which was not material, individually or in the aggregate (when combined with other acquisitions) to our consolidated financial statements. See Note 3, "Operating Units," for further discussion regarding these acquisitions.