Contingencies and Commitments	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingencies and Commitments	Note 21. 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. 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 believe that any liability that may arise as a result of other pending legal actions will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations. In the third quarter of 2016, NICO entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company (“MLMIC”), a writer of medical professional liability insurance domiciled in New York. MLMIC’s assets and policyholders’ surplus determined under statutory accounting principles as of March 31, 2017 were approximately $5.6 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively. The acquisition price will be an amount equal to the sum of: (i) the tangible book value of MLMIC at the closing date (determined under U.S. GAAP); plus (ii) $100 million. The acquisition will involve the conversion of MLMIC from a mutual company to a stock company. The closing of the transaction is subject to various regulatory approvals, customary closing conditions and the approval of the MLMIC policyholders eligible to vote on the proposed demutualization and sale. We currently expect this transaction will be completed in late 2017. We own a 50% interest in a joint venture, Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC (“Berkadia”), with Leucadia National Corporation (“Leucadia”) owning the other 50% interest. Berkadia is a servicer of commercial real estate loans in the U.S. A significant source of funding for Berkadia’s operations is through the issuance of commercial paper, which is limited to $1.5 billion. Berkadia’s commercial paper outstanding is supported by a surety policy issued by a Berkshire insurance subsidiary. Leucadia has agreed to indemnify us for one-half of any losses we incur under the policy. On July 7, 2017, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company (“BHE”) agreed to acquire 80.03% of the outstanding equity interests of Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (“Oncor”) for $9 billion pursuant to an agreement between BHE and Energy Future Holdings Corp. (“EFH”). Since April 2014, EFH and the substantial majority of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, excluding Oncor, have operated as debtors-in-possession under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and pursuant to Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Oncor is a regulated electricity transmission and distribution company that operates the largest transmission and distribution system in Texas, delivering electricity to more than 3.4 million homes and businesses and operating more than 122,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines. Texas Transmission Investment LLC owns 19.75% and certain Oncor directors, employees and retirees own the remaining 0.22% of Oncor’s equity interests. BHE intends to acquire the remaining 19.97% minority interest positions in Oncor through transactions separate from the agreement with EFH. The completion of this transaction is subject to numerous approvals, rulings and conditions, including those from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”), and the expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. Subject to obtaining the necessary approvals, we expect the transaction between BHE and EFH will close in the fourth quarter of 2017.

Note 21. 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. 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 believe that any liability that may arise as a result of other pending legal actions will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial condition or results of operations.

In the third quarter of 2016, NICO entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company (“MLMIC”), a writer of medical professional liability insurance domiciled in New York. MLMIC’s assets and policyholders’ surplus determined under statutory accounting principles as of March 31, 2017 were approximately $5.6 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively. The acquisition price will be an amount equal to the sum of: (i) the tangible book value of MLMIC at the closing date (determined under U.S. GAAP); plus (ii) $100 million. The acquisition will involve the conversion of MLMIC from a mutual company to a stock company. The closing of the transaction is subject to various regulatory approvals, customary closing conditions and the approval of the MLMIC policyholders eligible to vote on the proposed demutualization and sale. We currently expect this transaction will be completed in late 2017.

We own a 50% interest in a joint venture, Berkadia Commercial Mortgage LLC (“Berkadia”), with Leucadia National Corporation (“Leucadia”) owning the other 50% interest. Berkadia is a servicer of commercial real estate loans in the U.S. A significant source of funding for Berkadia’s operations is through the issuance of commercial paper, which is limited to $1.5 billion. Berkadia’s commercial paper outstanding is supported by a surety policy issued by a Berkshire insurance subsidiary. Leucadia has agreed to indemnify us for one-half of any losses we incur under the policy.

On July 7, 2017, Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company (“BHE”) agreed to acquire 80.03% of the outstanding equity interests of Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (“Oncor”) for $9 billion pursuant to an agreement between BHE and Energy Future Holdings Corp. (“EFH”). Since April 2014, EFH and the substantial majority of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, excluding Oncor, have operated as debtors-in-possession under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and pursuant to Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Oncor is a regulated electricity transmission and distribution company that operates the largest transmission and distribution system in Texas, delivering electricity to more than 3.4 million homes and businesses and operating more than 122,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines. Texas Transmission Investment LLC owns 19.75% and certain Oncor directors, employees and retirees own the remaining 0.22% of Oncor’s equity interests. BHE intends to acquire the remaining 19.97% minority interest positions in Oncor through transactions separate from the agreement with EFH.

The completion of this transaction is subject to numerous approvals, rulings and conditions, including those from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”), and the expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976. Subject to obtaining the necessary approvals, we expect the transaction between BHE and EFH will close in the fourth quarter of 2017.