Business segment data (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

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 on January 31, 2023. In this presentation, revenues and pre-tax earnings of the Pilot segment in 2023 are for the two months ending March 31. Prior to January 31, 2023, our earnings from Pilot were determined under the equity method and were included in earnings from non-controlled businesses. Revenues and earnings before income taxes by segment for the first quarter of 2024 and 2023 were as follows (in millions).

	First Quarter
	2024		2023
Revenues of Operating Businesses
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	10,234	$	9,626
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		4,541		3,961
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		6,699		6,209
Investment income		3,164		2,392
Total insurance		24,638		22,188
BNSF		5,660		6,019
BHE		6,277		6,451
Pilot		12,503		9,508
Manufacturing		18,529		18,289
McLane		12,475		13,059
Service and retailing		9,703		9,931
		89,785		85,445
Reconciliation to consolidated amount
Corporate, eliminations and other		84		(52	)
	$	89,869	$	85,393

	First Quarter
	2024			2023
Earnings Before Income Taxes of Operating Businesses
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	1,928		$	703
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		486			268
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		912			231
Investment income		3,152			2,385
Total insurance		6,478			3,587
BNSF		1,519			1,649
BHE		432			223
Pilot		70			136
Manufacturing		2,914			2,611
McLane		165			113
Service and retailing		908			1,221
		12,486			9,540
Reconciliation to consolidated amount
Investment gains (losses)		1,876			34,758
Interest expense, not allocated to segments		(96	)		(114	)
Non-controlled businesses		493			688
Corporate, eliminations and other		947			(120	)
	$	15,706		$	44,752