Business segment data (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of revenues and earnings by segment

Revenues by segment for the third quarter and first nine months of 2015 and 2014 were as follows (in millions).

	Third Quarter						First Nine Months
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Operating Businesses:
Insurance group:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	5,788		$	5,203		$	16,792		$	15,168
General Re		1,405			1,566			4,397			4,733
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		1,892			4,809			5,317			8,414
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		1,429			1,139			3,948			3,141
Investment income		1,046			957			3,474			3,409
Total insurance group		11,560			13,674			33,928			34,865
BNSF		5,600			5,881			16,571			17,063
Berkshire Hathaway Energy		5,144			4,853			14,018			13,344
McLane Company		12,264			12,151			36,200			34,327
Manufacturing		9,181			9,534			27,568			27,788
Service and retailing		6,151			3,493			16,966			10,456
Finance and financial products		1,725			1,654			5,078			4,731
		51,625			51,240			150,329			142,574
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount:
Investment and derivative gains/losses		7,502			(118	)		9,105			3,770
Eliminations and other		(138	)		77			(433	)		70
	$	58,989		$	51,199		$	159,001		$	146,414

Earnings before income taxes by segment for the third quarter and first nine months of 2015 and 2014 were as follows (in millions).

	Third Quarter						First Nine Months
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Operating Businesses:
Insurance group:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	258		$	264		$	471		$	1,010
General Re		(2	)		126			58			322
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		199			443			247			617
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		188			143			566			379
Investment income		1,045			950			3,466			3,394
Total insurance group		1,688			1,926			4,808			5,722
BNSF		1,839			1,654			5,047			4,295
Berkshire Hathaway Energy		1,153			1,051			2,398			2,248
McLane Company		106			120			384			361
Manufacturing		1,259			1,337			3,857			3,774
Service and retailing		378			355			1,260			1,095
Finance and financial products		486			453			1,480			1,247
		6,909			6,896			19,234			18,742
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount:
Investment and derivative gains/losses		7,502			(118	)		9,105			3,770
Interest expense, not allocated to segments		(83	)		(79	)		(391	)		(233	)
Eliminations and other		(256	)		51			(383	)		(15	)
	$	14,072		$	6,750		$	27,565		$	22,264