Business segment data (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of revenues and earnings by segment

Revenues by segment for the third quarter and first nine months of 2017 and 2016 were as follows (in millions).

	Third Quarter						First Nine Months
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Operating Businesses:
Insurance group:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	7,543		$	6,474		$	21,632		$	18,771
General Re		1,630			1,389			4,599			4,168
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		2,324			1,872			15,951			5,767
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		1,852			1,629			5,287			4,581
Investment income		1,248			1,043			3,664			3,428
Total insurance group		14,597			12,407			51,133			36,715
BNSF		5,314			5,167			15,749			14,519
Berkshire Hathaway Energy		5,370			5,198			14,250			13,615
Manufacturing		12,819			12,082			37,654			34,837
McLane Company		12,798			12,271			37,480			36,121
Service and retailing		6,527			6,331			19,170			18,607
Finance and financial products		2,187			1,962			6,085			5,677
		59,612			55,418			181,521			160,091
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount:
Investment and derivative gains/losses		965			3,608			1,965			5,311
Eliminations and other		(52	)		(183	)		(256	)		(142	)
	$	60,525		$	58,843		$	183,230		$	165,260

Earnings before income taxes by segment were as follows (in millions).

	Third Quarter						First Nine Months
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Operating Businesses:
Insurance group:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	(416	)	$	138		$	(122	)	$	552
General Re		(504	)		100			(622	)		144
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		(1,341	)		(19	)		(2,341	)		86
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		52			190			473			485
Investment income		1,246			1,029			3,658			3,406
Total insurance group		(963	)		1,438			1,046			4,673
BNSF		1,710			1,633			4,592			4,129
Berkshire Hathaway Energy		1,262			1,246			2,547			2,481
Manufacturing		2,002			1,981			5,428			5,150
McLane Company		45			106			202			371
Service and retailing		491			449			1,439			1,230
Finance and financial products		530			517			1,504			1,578
		5,077			7,370			16,758			19,612
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount:
Investment and derivative gains/losses		965			3,608			1,965			5,311
Income from Kraft Heinz		252			225			800			851
Interest expense, not allocated to segments		(386	)		(201	)		(1,243	)		(518	)
Eliminations and other		(278	)		(477	)		(833	)		(903	)
	$	5,630		$	10,525		$	17,447		$	24,353