Contingencies and Commitments	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingencies and Commitments	Note 21. Contingencies and commitments We are parties in a variety of legal actions that routinely arise out of the normal course of business, including legal actions seeking to establish liability directly through insurance contracts or indirectly through reinsurance contracts issued by Berkshire subsidiaries. Plaintiffs occasionally seek punitive or exemplary damages. We do not believe that such normal and routine litigation will have a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Berkshire and certain of its subsidiaries are also involved in other kinds of legal actions, some of which assert or may assert claims or seek to impose fines and penalties. We believe that any liability that may arise as a result of other pending legal actions will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations. On March 20, 2022, Berkshire entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger with Alleghany Corporation (“Alleghany”) to acquire all of Alleghany’s outstanding common stock for cash consideration of approximately $11.6 billion. Following the receipt of Alleghany shareholder approval on June 9, 2022 and all required regulatory approvals, the acquisition was completed on October 19, 2022. The consideration paid was funded by existing cash balances. Alleghany operates a group of property and casualty reinsurance and insurance businesses. It also owns a portfolio of non-financial businesses. Given the proximity of the Alleghany acquisition date to the date these interim Consolidated Financial Statements were issued, it was impracticable to provide an initial estimate of the fair values of identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and residual goodwill or proforma information. We expect to provide disclosures of preliminary values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date as well as proforma information, if material, in our Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ending December 31, 2022. Alleghany’s most recently available historical consolidated financial statements are as of September 30, 2022. As of that date, Alleghany’s total assets and liabilities were $31.2 billion and $23.4 billion, respectively. In June 2022, BHE acquired the BHE common stock held by Greg Abel, Berkshire’s Vice Chairman - non-insurance operations, for $870 million. The purchase was pursuant to the terms of a shareholders agreement between Berkshire, BHE and BHE’s non-controlling shareholders. Berkshire recorded a charge of $362 million to capital in excess of par value for the excess of the consideration paid over the carrying value of the acquired noncontrolling interest.

Contingencies and Commitments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Commitments And Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Note 21. Contingencies and commitments

We are parties in a variety of legal actions that routinely arise out of the normal course of business, including legal actions seeking to establish liability directly through insurance contracts or indirectly through reinsurance contracts issued by Berkshire subsidiaries. Plaintiffs occasionally seek punitive or exemplary damages. We do not believe that such normal and routine litigation will have a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Berkshire and certain of its subsidiaries are also involved in other kinds of legal actions, some of which assert or may assert claims or seek to impose fines and penalties. We believe that any liability that may arise as a result of other pending legal actions will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations.

On March 20, 2022, Berkshire entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger with Alleghany Corporation (“Alleghany”) to acquire all of Alleghany’s outstanding common stock for cash consideration of approximately $11.6 billion. Following the receipt of Alleghany shareholder approval on June 9, 2022 and all required regulatory approvals, the acquisition was completed on October 19, 2022. The consideration paid was funded by existing cash balances. Alleghany operates a group of property and casualty reinsurance and insurance businesses. It also owns a portfolio of non-financial businesses.

Given the proximity of the Alleghany acquisition date to the date these interim Consolidated Financial Statements were issued, it was impracticable to provide an initial estimate of the fair values of identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and residual goodwill or proforma information. We expect to provide disclosures of preliminary values of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date as well as proforma information, if material, in our Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ending December 31, 2022. Alleghany’s most recently available historical consolidated financial statements are as of September 30, 2022. As of that date, Alleghany’s total assets and liabilities were $31.2 billion and $23.4 billion, respectively.

In June 2022, BHE acquired the BHE common stock held by Greg Abel, Berkshire’s Vice Chairman - non-insurance operations, for $870 million. The purchase was pursuant to the terms of a shareholders agreement between Berkshire, BHE and BHE’s non-controlling shareholders. Berkshire recorded a charge of $362 million to capital in excess of par value for the excess of the consideration paid over the carrying value of the acquired noncontrolling interest.