Business segment data (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of revenues and earnings before income taxes by segment

Our operating businesses include a large and diverse group of insurance, freight rail transportation, utilities and energy, manufacturing, service and retailing businesses. We organize our reportable business segments in a manner that reflects how management views those business activities. Certain businesses are grouped together for segment reporting based upon similar products or product lines and marketing, selling and distribution characteristics, even though those business units are operated under separate local management. We acquired control of Pilot Travel Centers (“PTC”) on January 31, 2023 and PTC is considered a reportable segment beginning February 1, 2023. In this presentation, the revenues and pre-tax earnings of the PTC segment are for the eight months ending September 30, 2023. Previously, our earnings from PTC were determined under the equity method and are included in earnings from equity method investments. Revenues and earnings (loss) before income taxes by segment for the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 and 2022 were as follows (in millions).

	Third Quarter				First Nine Months
	2023		2022		2023			2022
Revenues of Operating Businesses
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	9,844	$	9,808	$	29,184		$	29,169
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		4,449		3,485		12,643			9,916
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		7,067		5,461		19,890			15,238
Investment income		2,948		1,683		8,258			5,331
Total insurance		24,308		20,437		69,975			59,654
BNSF		5,847		6,693		17,694			19,301
Berkshire Hathaway Energy (“BHE”)		7,281		7,557		20,094			20,122
Pilot Travel Centers (“PTC”)		13,166		—		37,428			—
Manufacturing		19,174		19,000		56,565			57,193
McLane		13,477		13,569		39,419			39,346
Service and retailing		9,946		9,567		30,018			28,299
		93,199		76,823		271,193			223,915
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount
Corporate, eliminations and other		11		81		(87	)		33
	$	93,210	$	76,904	$	271,106		$	223,948

	Third Quarter						First Nine Months
	2023			2022			2023			2022
Earnings (Loss) Before Income Taxes of Operating Businesses
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	1,053		$	(759	)	$	2,270		$	(1,424	)
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		510			(281	)		1,050			53
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		1,437			(251	)		2,495			1,191
Investment income		2,933			1,678			8,230			5,322
Total insurance		5,933			387			14,045			5,142
BNSF		1,608			1,884			4,872			5,844
BHE		(147	)		1,347			700			2,651
PTC		291			—			613			—
Manufacturing		3,077			2,883			8,791			8,735
McLane		116			112			358			270
Service and retailing		1,186			1,202			3,669			3,536
		12,064			7,815			33,048			26,178
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount
Investment and derivative gains (losses)		(29,778	)		(13,465	)		38,041			(82,362	)
Interest expense, not allocated to segments		(100	)		(99	)		(317	)		(303	)
Equity method investments		262			415			1,461			958
Corporate, eliminations and other		593			1,076			995			2,920
	$	(16,959	)	$	(4,258	)	$	73,228		$	(52,609	)