Segment Reporting - Condensed Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2022	Jun. 30, 2021
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 3,796	$ 2,612	$ 6,764	$ 4,830
Other revenues from operations	197	164	365	316
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	(442)	206	497	1,212
Interest and dividend income	50	34	92	60
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net			2
Other (loss) income, net	(98)	(28)	(122)	(46)
Total revenues	3,503	2,988	7,596	6,372
Cost of goods sold	3,174	2,398	5,712	4,537
Other expenses from operations	148	126	285	244
Selling, general and administrative	315	304	616	620
Restructuring, net		5		5
Interest expense	151	158	285	353
Total Expenses	3,788	2,991	6,898	5,759
(Loss) income before income tax benefit (expense)	(285)	(3)	698	613
Income tax benefit (expense)	(2)	(59)	(100)	(76)
Net (loss) income	(287)	(62)	598	537
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	(159)	74	403	511
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(128)	(136)	195	26
Capital expenditures	99	111	154	158
Depreciation and amortization	127	132	249	259
Investment Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales			0	0
Other revenues from operations			0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	(459)	175	449	1,114
Interest and dividend income	47	32	87	57
Other (loss) income, net	(18)	(18)	(35)	(39)
Total revenues	(430)	189	501	1,132
Cost of goods sold			0	0
Other expenses from operations			0	0
Selling, general and administrative	10	3	14	8
Restructuring, net				0
Interest expense	53	41	85	117
Total Expenses	63	44	99	125
(Loss) income before income tax benefit (expense)	(493)	145	402	1,007
Income tax benefit (expense)			0	0
Net (loss) income	(493)	145	402	1,007
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	(275)	77	206	548
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(218)	68	196	459
Capital expenditures			0	0
Depreciation and amortization			0	0
Energy Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	3,144	1,783	5,517	3,246
Other revenues from operations			0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities		21	0	83
Interest and dividend income	1		1	0
Other (loss) income, net	(75)	(7)	(85)	0
Total revenues	3,070	1,797	5,433	3,329
Cost of goods sold	2,715	1,757	4,838	3,336
Other expenses from operations			0	0
Selling, general and administrative	43	34	88	69
Restructuring, net				0
Interest expense	24	30	48	61
Total Expenses	2,782	1,821	4,974	3,466
(Loss) income before income tax benefit (expense)	288	(24)	459	(137)
Income tax benefit (expense)	(61)	10	(91)	56
Net (loss) income	227	(14)	368	(81)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	117	(3)	197	(37)
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises	110	(11)	171	(44)
Capital expenditures	62	92	88	126
Depreciation and amortization	89	88	172	170
Automotive Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	438	481	845	937
Other revenues from operations	183	156	339	298
Net (loss) gain from investment activities			0	0
Interest and dividend income			0	0
Other (loss) income, net		(2)	2	(3)
Total revenues	621	635	1,186	1,232
Cost of goods sold	288	345	555	658
Other expenses from operations	134	116	260	228
Selling, general and administrative	219	215	427	442
Restructuring, net		5		5
Interest expense		3	1	6
Total Expenses	641	684	1,243	1,339
(Loss) income before income tax benefit (expense)	(20)	(49)	(57)	(107)
Income tax benefit (expense)	5	11	14	23
Net (loss) income	(15)	(38)	(43)	(84)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests			0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(15)	(38)	(43)	(84)
Capital expenditures	30	12	51	20
Depreciation and amortization	20	22	40	44
Food Packaging Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	110	106	211	207
Other revenues from operations			0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities			0	0
Interest and dividend income			0	0
Other (loss) income, net	(6)	(2)	(5)	(8)
Total revenues	104	104	206	199
Cost of goods sold	90	88	171	168
Other expenses from operations			0	0
Selling, general and administrative	13	11	26	24
Restructuring, net				0
Interest expense	2	1	3	3
Total Expenses	105	100	200	195
(Loss) income before income tax benefit (expense)	(1)	4	6	4
Income tax benefit (expense)	(2)	(2)	(3)	(3)
Net (loss) income	(3)	2	3	1
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	(1)		0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(2)	2	3	1
Capital expenditures	5	4	9	6
Depreciation and amortization	7	7	14	14
Real Estate Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	17	20	34	28
Other revenues from operations	13	7	24	16
Net (loss) gain from investment activities			0	0
Interest and dividend income			0	0
Other (loss) income, net			0	0
Total revenues	30	27	58	44
Cost of goods sold	12	15	22	22
Other expenses from operations	14	10	25	16
Selling, general and administrative	3	6	7	11
Restructuring, net				0
Interest expense			0	0
Total Expenses	29	31	54	49
(Loss) income before income tax benefit (expense)	1	(4)	4	(5)
Income tax benefit (expense)			0	0
Net (loss) income	1	(4)	4	(5)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests			0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises	1	(4)	4	(5)
Capital expenditures	2	3	6	4
Depreciation and amortization	3	2	6	5
Home Fashion Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	69	51	124	92
Other revenues from operations			0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities			0	0
Interest and dividend income			0	0
Other (loss) income, net			0	0
Total revenues	69	51	124	92
Cost of goods sold	57	41	102	75
Other expenses from operations			0
Selling, general and administrative	11	11	22	22
Restructuring, net				0
Interest expense	1	1	1	1
Total Expenses	69	53	125	98
(Loss) income before income tax benefit (expense)		(2)	(1)	(6)
Income tax benefit (expense)			0	0
Net (loss) income		(2)	(1)	(6)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests			0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises		(2)	(1)	(6)
Capital expenditures			0	1
Depreciation and amortization	1	2	3	4
Pharma Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	18	18	33	47
Other revenues from operations	1	1	2	2
Net (loss) gain from investment activities			0	0
Interest and dividend income			0	0
Other (loss) income, net			1	0
Total revenues	19	19	36	49
Cost of goods sold	12	12	24	26
Other expenses from operations			0	0
Selling, general and administrative	10	9	20	17
Restructuring, net				0
Interest expense			0	0
Total Expenses	22	21	44	43
(Loss) income before income tax benefit (expense)	(3)	(2)	(8)	6
Income tax benefit (expense)			0	0
Net (loss) income	(3)	(2)	(8)	6
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests			0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(3)	(2)	(8)	6
Capital expenditures			0	0
Depreciation and amortization	7	7	14	14
Metals Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales		153	0	273
Other revenues from operations			0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities			0	0
Interest and dividend income			0	0
Other (loss) income, net			0	1
Total revenues		153	0	274
Cost of goods sold		140	0	252
Other expenses from operations			0	0
Selling, general and administrative		5	0	9
Restructuring, net				0
Interest expense		1	0	1
Total Expenses		146	0	262
(Loss) income before income tax benefit (expense)		7	0	12
Income tax benefit (expense)			0	0
Net (loss) income		7	0	12
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests			0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises		7	0	12
Capital expenditures			0	1
Depreciation and amortization		4	0	8
Holding Company
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales			0	0
Other revenues from operations			0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	17	10	48	15
Interest and dividend income	2	2	4	3
Other (loss) income, net	1	1	0	3
Total revenues	20	13	52	21
Cost of goods sold			0	0
Other expenses from operations			0	0
Selling, general and administrative	6	10	12	18
Restructuring, net				0
Interest expense	71	81	147	164
Total Expenses	77	91	159	182
(Loss) income before income tax benefit (expense)	(57)	(78)	(107)	(161)
Income tax benefit (expense)	56	(78)	(20)	(152)
Net (loss) income	(1)	(156)	(127)	(313)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests			0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises	$ (1)	$ (156)	(127)	(313)
Capital expenditures			0	0
Depreciation and amortization			$ 0	$ 0