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Notes payable and other borrowings - Narrative (Detail) € in Millions, £ in Millions, $ in Millions, ¥ in Billions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2024 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 JPY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 JPY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2023 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2023 GBP (£)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings						¥ 1,259.0	€ 6,850	£ 1,750
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of borrowings		$ 4,310		$ 602	$ 2,167
Notes payable and other borrowings		18,781		21,393
Gain (loss) attributable to changes in foreign currency exchange rates		371		1,401	1,281
Line Of Credit [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unused lines of credit available		9,400
Line Of Credit [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unused lines of credit available		6,000
Insurance and Other [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings		42,692		46,538
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Subsidiaries Excluding Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Guarantee obligation		$ 2,700
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate, percentage		4.50%				4.50%	4.50%	4.50%
Notes payable and other borrowings		$ 4,696		5,967
Short-Term Debt		$ 1,187		1,310
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year		2024	2024
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year		2051	2051
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of borrowings		$ 4,300
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gain (loss) attributable to changes in foreign currency exchange rates		217		1,700	$ 1,300
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Debt Due 2026 To 2058 [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt issued		$ 2,050	¥ 286.4
Weighted average interest rate, percentage		1.15%				1.15%	1.15%	1.15%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Debt Due 2026 To 2058 [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year		2026	2026
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Senior Notes [Member] \| Debt Due 2026 To 2058 [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year		2058	2058
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings		$ 85,579		76,206
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-Term Debt		$ 4,148		$ 1,119
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate, percentage		4.40%				4.40%	4.40%	4.40%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year		2025	2025
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year		2053	2053
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of borrowings		$ 3,700
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| BNSF [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of borrowings		1,600
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt issued		$ 4,200
Weighted average interest rate, percentage		5.70%				5.70%	5.70%	5.70%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Forecast [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt issued	$ 5,100
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	5.40%
Short-Term Debt	$ 2,800
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year		2033	2033
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Forecast [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2029
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year		2055	2055
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Forecast [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2055
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Senior Unsecured Debenture [Member] \| Term Debt [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| BNSF [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage		5.20%				5.20%	5.20%	5.20%
Debt maturity year		2054	2054
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Senior Unsecured Debenture [Member] \| 5.2% Debentures Due [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| BNSF [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt issued		$ 1,600