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Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

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Amount of long-term debt payable, sinking fund requirements, and other securities issued that are redeemable by holder at fixed or determinable prices and dates maturing in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

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The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price.

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Note to Condensed Financial Information - Narrative (Detail) € in Millions						1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 29, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 08, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 02, 2015	Jul. 01, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 07, 2013 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Maturing: 2016								$ 6,817,000,000
Maturing: 2017								6,503,000,000
Maturing: 2018								8,835,000,000
Maturing: 2019								4,375,000,000
Maturing: 2020								2,843,000,000
Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Purchase of preferred stock, common stock and warrants								5,258,000,000	$ 12,250,000,000
Maturing: 2016								1,051,000,000
Maturing: 2017								1,143,000,000
Maturing: 2018								802,000,000
Maturing: 2019								755,000,000
Maturing: 2020								2,000,000
Guarantee of subsidiary debt obligations								14,000,000,000
Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Equity Index Put Options and Credit Default Derivatives [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Guarantee of subsidiary obligations under derivative liability contracts								$ 3,800,000,000
Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member] \| Revolving Credit Agreement [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revolving credit agreement		$ 10,000,000,000
Expiration date of credit agreement		Jan. 06, 2017
Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Senior Unsecured Notes [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt issued \| €						€ 3,000
Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2023 at 0.75% [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt issued \| €						€ 750
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage						0.75%
Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2027 at 1.125% [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt issued \| €						€ 1,250
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage						1.125%
Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2035 at 1.625% [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Principal amount of debt issued \| €						€ 1,000
Debt instrument, interest rate, stated percentage						1.625%
Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Precision Castparts Corp [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Aggregate consideration paid for acquisition	$ 32,700,000,000
Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Precision Castparts Corp [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member] \| Revolving Credit Agreement [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Borrowings under credit agreement	$ 10,000,000,000
Kraft Heinz (previously Heinz Holding) [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Equity method investment ownership percentage				52.50%
Equity method investment ownership percentage after transactions			26.80%					26.80%
Kraft Heinz (previously Heinz Holding) [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Common Stock, Cumulative Compounding Preferred Stock and Warrants [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Purchase of preferred stock, common stock and warrants					$ 12,250,000,000
Kraft Heinz (previously Heinz Holding) [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Common Stock [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Purchase of common stock				$ 5,260,000,000				$ 5,260,000,000
Non-cash pre-tax holding gain on equity method investment							$ 6,800,000,000	$ 6,800,000,000
Kraft Heinz (previously Heinz Holding) [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Common Stock and Warrants [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Equity method investment ownership percentage					52.50%
Kraft Heinz (previously Heinz Holding) [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway (Parent) [Member] \| Cumulative Compounding Preferred Stock [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Investment in preferred stock, liquidation value					$ 8,000,000,000