Contingencies and commitments	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingencies and commitments	(27) 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. PacifiCorp, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire’s 92% owned subsidiary, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company (“BHE”), operates as a regulated electric utility in Oregon and other Western states. In September 2020, a severe weather event resulting in high winds, low humidity and warm temperatures, contributed to several major wildfires (the “2020 Wildfires”), which resulted in real and personal property and natural resource damage, personal injuries and loss of life and widespread power outages in Oregon and Northern California. The wildfires spread across certain parts of PacifiCorp’s service territory and surrounding areas across multiple counties in Oregon and California, including Siskiyou County, California; Jackson County, Oregon; Douglas County, Oregon; Marion County, Oregon; Lincoln County, Oregon; and Klamath County, Oregon, burning over 500,000 acres in aggregate. Third-party reports for these wildfires indicate over 2,000 structures destroyed, including residences; several structures damaged; multiple individuals injured; and several fatalities. On July 29, 2022, the 2022 McKinney Fire began in the Oak Knoll Ranger District of the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County, California located in PacifiCorp’s service territory (the “2022 Wildfire”). Third-party reports indicate that the 2022 Wildfire resulted in 11 structures damaged, 185 structures destroyed, 12 injuries and four fatalities and consumed 60,000 acres in aggregate. The 2020 Wildfires and 2022 Wildfire, together, are referred to as the “Wildfires”. Investigations into the cause and origin of each of the Wildfires are complex and ongoing and have been or are being conducted by various entities, including the U.S. Forest Service, the California Public Utilities Commission, the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Oregon Department of Justice, PacifiCorp and various experts engaged by PacifiCorp. As of the date of this filing, a significant number of complaints and demands alleging similar claims related to the 2020 Wildfires have been filed in Oregon and California, including a class action complaint in Oregon for which two jury verdicts were issued in June 2023 and January 2024 as described below. The plaintiffs seek damages for economic losses, noneconomic losses, including mental suffering, emotional distress, personal injury and loss of life, punitive damages, other damages and attorneys’ fees. Several insurance carriers have filed subrogation complaints in Oregon and California with allegations similar to those made in the aforementioned complaints. Additionally, the U.S. and Oregon Departments of Justice have informed PacifiCorp that they are contemplating filing actions against PacifiCorp in connection with certain of the Oregon 2020 Wildfires. PacifiCorp is actively cooperating with the U.S. and Oregon Departments of Justice on resolving these alleged claims, including through the pursuit of alternative dispute resolution. Numerous lawsuits on behalf of plaintiffs related to the 2020 Wildfires have been filed in Oregon and California, including a class action complaint against PacifiCorp that was filed in 2020, captioned Jeanyne James et al. v. PacifiCorp et al., in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Oregon (the “James case”). The plaintiffs seek damages for economic losses, non-economic losses, including mental suffering, emotional distress, personal injury and loss of life, punitive damages, other damages and attorneys’ fees. Amounts sought in the complaints and demands filed in Oregon and in certain demands in California approximate $8 billion, excluding any doubling or trebling of damages included in the complaints. Generally, the complaints filed in California do not specify damages sought and are not included in this amount. Final determinations of liability will only be made following the completion of comprehensive investigations, litigation and similar processes. Multiple lawsuits have also been filed in California on behalf of plaintiffs related to the 2022 Wildfire. The plaintiffs seek damages for economic losses, non-economic losses, including mental suffering, emotional distress, personal injury and loss of life, punitive damages, other damages and attorneys’ fees, but the amount of damages sought is not specified. Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (27) Contingencies and commitments In June 2023, a jury issued its verdict for the 17 named plaintiffs in the James case finding PacifiCorp liable to the 17 individual plaintiffs and to the class with respect to the four 2020 Wildfires named in the complaint. The jury awarded the 17 named plaintiffs $90 million of damages, including $4 million of economic and property damages, $68 million of non-economic damages and $18 million of punitive damages based on a 0.25 multiplier of the economic and non-economic damages. In September 2023, the Multnomah County Circuit Court ordered trial dates for two consolidated jury trials including approximately 10 class members each and a third trial for certain commercial timber plaintiffs wherein plaintiffs in each of the three damages phase trials will present evidence regarding their damages. The first of these trials addressing nine individual plaintiffs was held in January 2024 while the remaining trials are scheduled at various dates through April 2024. In January 2024, the Multnomah County Circuit Court entered a limited judgment and money award for the June 2023 James case verdict. The limited judgment awards the aforementioned damages, as well as doubling of the economic damages and offsetting of any insurance proceeds received by plaintiffs. The limited judgment created a lien against PacifiCorp, attaching a debt for the money awards. PacifiCorp posted a supersedeas bond, which stays any effort to seek payment of the judgment pending final resolution of any appeals. Under ORS 82.010, interest at a rate of 9% per annum will accrue on the judgment commencing at the date the judgment was entered until the entire money award is paid, amended or reversed by an appellate court. In January 2024, the jury for the first James damages phase trial awarded nine plaintiffs $62 million of damages, including $6 million of economic damages and $56 million of noneconomic damages. After the January 2024 jury verdict, the Multnomah County Circuit Court doubled the economic damages to $12 million and added $16 million of punitive damages using the 0.25 multiplier determined by the jury for the June 2023 James case verdict. PacifiCorp will request that the Multnomah County Circuit Court judge offset the damage awards by deducting insurance proceeds received by any of the nine plaintiffs. PacifiCorp has filed its notice of appeal of the jury’s findings and damage awards associated with the June 2023 verdict in the James case, including whether the case can proceed as a class action, and filed a motion to stay further damages phase trials. On February 14, 2024, the Oregon Court of Appeals denied PacifiCorp’s request to stay the damages phase trials. PacifiCorp intends to appeal the jury’s damage awards associated with the January 2024 jury verdict once the judgment is entered. On February 13, 2024, the 17 named plaintiffs filed a notice of cross-appeal as to the January 2024 limited judgment and money award. The appeals process and further actions could take several years. A provision for a loss contingency is recorded when it is probable a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. PacifiCorp evaluates the related range of reasonably estimated losses and records a loss based on its best estimate within that range or the lower end of the range if there is no better estimate. Estimated probable losses associated with the Wildfires were based on the information available to the date of this filing, including (i) ongoing cause and origin investigations; (ii) ongoing settlement and mediation discussions; (iii) other litigation matters and upcoming legal proceedings; and (iv) the status of the James case. Wildfire estimated losses include estimates for fire suppression costs, real and personal property damages, natural resource damages for certain areas and non-economic damages such as personal injury damages and loss of life damages that are considered probable of being incurred and that it is able to reasonably estimate at this time and which is subject to change as additional relevant information becomes available. PacifiCorp recorded estimated pre-tax probable Wildfire losses, before expected related insurance recoveries, of approximately $1.9 billion in 2023 and $225 million in 2022. Such amounts, net of expected insurance recoveries, were approximately $1.7 billion in 2023 and $64 million in 2022, which were included in energy operating expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Earnings. PacifiCorp paid $631 million in settlements in 2023 and $53 million in 2022 associated with the 2020 Wildfires. PacifiCorp’s cumulative charges to date for estimated probable Wildfire losses through December 31, 2023, before expected insurance recoveries, were $2.4 billion. It is reasonably possible PacifiCorp will incur significant additional Wildfire losses beyond the amounts currently accrued; however, it is currently unable to reasonably estimate the range of possible additional losses that could be incurred due to the number of properties and parties involved, including claimants in the class to the James case, the variation in those types of properties and lack of available details and the ultimate outcome of legal actions. Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (27) Contingencies and commitments HomeServices of America, Inc. (“HomeServices”), a wholly owned subsidiary of BHE, is currently defending against eleven antitrust cases, all in federal district courts. In each case, plaintiffs claim HomeServices and certain of its subsidiaries conspired with co-defendants to artificially inflate real estate commissions by following and enforcing multiple listing service (“MLS”) rules that require listing agents to offer a commission split to cooperating agents in order for the property to appear on the MLS (“Cooperative Compensation Rule”). None of the complaints specify damages sought. However, two cases also allege Texas state law deceptive trade practices claims, for which plaintiffs have provided written notice of the damages sought totaling approximately $9 billion by separate notice as required by Texas law. In one of these cases, Burnett (formerly Sitzer) et al. v. HomeServices of America, Inc. et al., a jury trial commenced on October 16, 2023, and the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs on October 31, 2023, finding that the named defendants participated in a conspiracy to follow and enforce the Cooperative Compensation Rule, which had the purpose or effect of raising, inflating, or stabilizing broker commission rates paid by home sellers. The jury further found that the class plaintiffs had proved damages in the amount of $1.8 billion. Federal law authorizes trebling of damages and the award of pre-judgment interest and attorney fees. Joint and several liability applies for the co-defendants. HomeServices intends to vigorously appeal on multiple grounds the jury’s findings and damage award. The appeals process and further actions could take several years. Based on available information to date, HomeServices believes losses are likely to occur as a result of the jury verdict in the Burnett case and that such damages could be up to $5.4 billion, excluding attorneys’ fees, prejudgment interest and other costs subject to determination by the court. However, HomeServices is currently unable to reasonably estimate such loss due to, among other reasons, the joint and several nature of the liability and the early stages of the appeals process. It is also reasonably possible that HomeServices will incur losses from the ten other antitrust cases. However, HomeServices is unable to reasonably estimate a specific range of possible losses that could be incurred due to, among other reasons, lack of information about the size of the plaintiff class and potential damages, as well as the joint and several nature of potential liability of the defendants. 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 currently believe that liabilities that may arise as a result of such other pending legal actions will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations. Our subsidiaries regularly make commitments in the ordinary course of business to purchase goods and services in the future for use in their businesses, which are not yet reflected in our Consolidated Financial Statements. The most significant of our long-term commitments relate to our railroad, utilities and energy businesses, our shared aircraft ownership and leasing business and certain materials purchase commitments. As of December 31, 2023, estimated future payments under those arrangements over the next five years were as follows: $10 billion in 2024, $4 billion in 2025, $3 billion in 2026, $3 billion in 2027 and $2 billion in 2028. We may be obligated to acquire certain noncontrolling interests in less-than-wholly-owned subsidiaries in the future, pursuant to the terms of agreements with the noncontrolling shareholders for cash or other assets. The timing and the amount of any future payments that might be required to such noncontrolling shareholders are contingent on future actions of the noncontrolling owners and the value of the interest being acquired.

Contingencies and commitments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

(27)

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.

PacifiCorp, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire’s 92% owned subsidiary, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company (“BHE”), operates as a regulated electric utility in Oregon and other Western states. In September 2020, a severe weather event resulting in high winds, low humidity and warm temperatures, contributed to several major wildfires (the “2020 Wildfires”), which resulted in real and personal property and natural resource damage, personal injuries and loss of life and widespread power outages in Oregon and Northern California. The wildfires spread across certain parts of PacifiCorp’s service territory and surrounding areas across multiple counties in Oregon and California, including Siskiyou County, California; Jackson County, Oregon; Douglas County, Oregon; Marion County, Oregon; Lincoln County, Oregon; and Klamath County, Oregon, burning over 500,000 acres in aggregate. Third-party reports for these wildfires indicate over 2,000 structures destroyed, including residences; several structures damaged; multiple individuals injured; and several fatalities.

On July 29, 2022, the 2022 McKinney Fire began in the Oak Knoll Ranger District of the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County, California located in PacifiCorp’s service territory (the “2022 Wildfire”). Third-party reports indicate that the 2022 Wildfire resulted in 11 structures damaged, 185 structures destroyed, 12 injuries and four fatalities and consumed 60,000 acres in aggregate. The 2020 Wildfires and 2022 Wildfire, together, are referred to as the “Wildfires”.

Investigations into the cause and origin of each of the Wildfires are complex and ongoing and have been or are being conducted by various entities, including the U.S. Forest Service, the California Public Utilities Commission, the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Oregon Department of Justice, PacifiCorp and various experts engaged by PacifiCorp.

As of the date of this filing, a significant number of complaints and demands alleging similar claims related to the 2020 Wildfires have been filed in Oregon and California, including a class action complaint in Oregon for which two jury verdicts were issued in June 2023 and January 2024 as described below. The plaintiffs seek damages for economic losses, noneconomic losses, including mental suffering, emotional distress, personal injury and loss of life, punitive damages, other damages and attorneys’ fees. Several insurance carriers have filed subrogation complaints in Oregon and California with allegations similar to those made in the aforementioned complaints. Additionally, the U.S. and Oregon Departments of Justice have informed PacifiCorp that they are contemplating filing actions against PacifiCorp in connection with certain of the Oregon 2020 Wildfires. PacifiCorp is actively cooperating with the U.S. and Oregon Departments of Justice on resolving these alleged claims, including through the pursuit of alternative dispute resolution.

Numerous lawsuits on behalf of plaintiffs related to the 2020 Wildfires have been filed in Oregon and California, including a class action complaint against PacifiCorp that was filed in 2020, captioned Jeanyne James et al. v. PacifiCorp et al., in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Oregon (the “James case”). The plaintiffs seek damages for economic losses, non-economic losses, including mental suffering, emotional distress, personal injury and loss of life, punitive damages, other damages and attorneys’ fees.

Amounts sought in the complaints and demands filed in Oregon and in certain demands in California approximate $8 billion, excluding any doubling or trebling of damages included in the complaints. Generally, the complaints filed in California do not specify damages sought and are not included in this amount. Final determinations of liability will only be made following the completion of comprehensive investigations, litigation and similar processes. Multiple lawsuits have also been filed in California on behalf of plaintiffs related to the 2022 Wildfire. The plaintiffs seek damages for economic losses, non-economic losses, including mental suffering, emotional distress, personal injury and loss of life, punitive damages, other damages and attorneys’ fees, but the amount of damages sought is not specified.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(27)

Contingencies and commitments

In June 2023, a jury issued its verdict for the 17 named plaintiffs in the James case finding PacifiCorp liable to the 17 individual plaintiffs and to the class with respect to the four 2020 Wildfires named in the complaint. The jury awarded the 17 named plaintiffs $90 million of damages, including $4 million of economic and property damages, $68 million of non-economic damages and $18 million of punitive damages based on a 0.25 multiplier of the economic and non-economic damages.

In September 2023, the Multnomah County Circuit Court ordered trial dates for two consolidated jury trials including approximately 10 class members each and a third trial for certain commercial timber plaintiffs wherein plaintiffs in each of the three damages phase trials will present evidence regarding their damages. The first of these trials addressing nine individual plaintiffs was held in January 2024 while the remaining trials are scheduled at various dates through April 2024.

In January 2024, the Multnomah County Circuit Court entered a limited judgment and money award for the June 2023 James case verdict. The limited judgment awards the aforementioned damages, as well as doubling of the economic damages and offsetting of any insurance proceeds received by plaintiffs. The limited judgment created a lien against PacifiCorp, attaching a debt for the money awards. PacifiCorp posted a supersedeas bond, which stays any effort to seek payment of the judgment pending final resolution of any appeals. Under ORS 82.010, interest at a rate of 9% per annum will accrue on the judgment commencing at the date the judgment was entered until the entire money award is paid, amended or reversed by an appellate court.

In January 2024, the jury for the first James damages phase trial awarded nine plaintiffs $62 million of damages, including $6 million of economic damages and $56 million of noneconomic damages. After the January 2024 jury verdict, the Multnomah County Circuit Court doubled the economic damages to $12 million and added $16 million of punitive damages using the 0.25 multiplier determined by the jury for the June 2023 James case verdict. PacifiCorp will request that the Multnomah County Circuit Court judge offset the damage awards by deducting insurance proceeds received by any of the nine plaintiffs.

PacifiCorp has filed its notice of appeal of the jury’s findings and damage awards associated with the June 2023 verdict in the James case, including whether the case can proceed as a class action, and filed a motion to stay further damages phase trials. On February 14, 2024, the Oregon Court of Appeals denied PacifiCorp’s request to stay the damages phase trials. PacifiCorp intends to appeal the jury’s damage awards associated with the January 2024 jury verdict once the judgment is entered. On February 13, 2024, the 17 named plaintiffs filed a notice of cross-appeal as to the January 2024 limited judgment and money award. The appeals process and further actions could take several years.

A provision for a loss contingency is recorded when it is probable a liability has been incurred and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. PacifiCorp evaluates the related range of reasonably estimated losses and records a loss based on its best estimate within that range or the lower end of the range if there is no better estimate.

Estimated probable losses associated with the Wildfires were based on the information available to the date of this filing, including (i) ongoing cause and origin investigations; (ii) ongoing settlement and mediation discussions; (iii) other litigation matters and upcoming legal proceedings; and (iv) the status of the James case. Wildfire estimated losses include estimates for fire suppression costs, real and personal property damages, natural resource damages for certain areas and non-economic damages such as personal injury damages and loss of life damages that are considered probable of being incurred and that it is able to reasonably estimate at this time and which is subject to change as additional relevant information becomes available.

PacifiCorp recorded estimated pre-tax probable Wildfire losses, before expected related insurance recoveries, of approximately $1.9 billion in 2023 and $225 million in 2022. Such amounts, net of expected insurance recoveries, were approximately $1.7 billion in 2023 and $64 million in 2022, which were included in energy operating expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Earnings. PacifiCorp paid $631 million in settlements in 2023 and $53 million in 2022 associated with the 2020 Wildfires. PacifiCorp’s cumulative charges to date for estimated probable Wildfire losses through December 31, 2023, before expected insurance recoveries, were $2.4 billion.

It is reasonably possible PacifiCorp will incur significant additional Wildfire losses beyond the amounts currently accrued; however, it is currently unable to reasonably estimate the range of possible additional losses that could be incurred due to the number of properties and parties involved, including claimants in the class to the James case, the variation in those types of properties and lack of available details and the ultimate outcome of legal actions.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(27)

Contingencies and commitments

HomeServices of America, Inc. (“HomeServices”), a wholly owned subsidiary of BHE, is currently defending against eleven antitrust cases, all in federal district courts. In each case, plaintiffs claim HomeServices and certain of its subsidiaries conspired with co-defendants to artificially inflate real estate commissions by following and enforcing multiple listing service (“MLS”) rules that require listing agents to offer a commission split to cooperating agents in order for the property to appear on the MLS (“Cooperative Compensation Rule”). None of the complaints specify damages sought. However, two cases also allege Texas state law deceptive trade practices claims, for which plaintiffs have provided written notice of the damages sought totaling approximately $9 billion by separate notice as required by Texas law.

In one of these cases, Burnett (formerly Sitzer) et al. v. HomeServices of America, Inc. et al., a jury trial commenced on October 16, 2023, and the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs on October 31, 2023, finding that the named defendants participated in a conspiracy to follow and enforce the Cooperative Compensation Rule, which had the purpose or effect of raising, inflating, or stabilizing broker commission rates paid by home sellers. The jury further found that the class plaintiffs had proved damages in the amount of $1.8 billion. Federal law authorizes trebling of damages and the award of pre-judgment interest and attorney fees. Joint and several liability applies for the co-defendants. HomeServices intends to vigorously appeal on multiple grounds the jury’s findings and damage award. The appeals process and further actions could take several years.

Based on available information to date, HomeServices believes losses are likely to occur as a result of the jury verdict in the Burnett case and that such damages could be up to $5.4 billion, excluding attorneys’ fees, prejudgment interest and other costs subject to determination by the court. However, HomeServices is currently unable to reasonably estimate such loss due to, among other reasons, the joint and several nature of the liability and the early stages of the appeals process.

It is also reasonably possible that HomeServices will incur losses from the ten other antitrust cases. However, HomeServices is unable to reasonably estimate a specific range of possible losses that could be incurred due to, among other reasons, lack of information about the size of the plaintiff class and potential damages, as well as the joint and several nature of potential liability of the defendants.

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 currently believe that liabilities that may arise as a result of such other pending legal actions will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations.

Our subsidiaries regularly make commitments in the ordinary course of business to purchase goods and services in the future for use in their businesses, which are not yet reflected in our Consolidated Financial Statements. The most significant of our long-term commitments relate to our railroad, utilities and energy businesses, our shared aircraft ownership and leasing business and certain materials purchase commitments. As of December 31, 2023, estimated future payments under those arrangements over the next five years were as follows: $10 billion in 2024, $4 billion in 2025, $3 billion in 2026, $3 billion in 2027 and $2 billion in 2028.

We may be obligated to acquire certain noncontrolling interests in less-than-wholly-owned subsidiaries in the future, pursuant to the terms of agreements with the noncontrolling shareholders for cash or other assets. The timing and the amount of any future payments that might be required to such noncontrolling shareholders are contingent on future actions of the noncontrolling owners and the value of the interest being acquired.