Business segment data (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of revenues and earnings or loss before income taxes by segment

Our operating businesses include a large and diverse group of insurance, 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, marketing, selling and distribution characteristics, even though those business units are operated under separate local management. Revenues and earnings before income taxes by segment for the second quarter and first six months of 2020 and 2019 were as follows (in millions).

	Second Quarter				First Six Months
	2020		2019		2020		2019
Revenues of Operating Businesses:
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	9,040	$	8,869	$	18,149	$	17,491
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		2,244		2,287		4,613		4,438
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		4,311		3,707		8,581		7,253
Investment income		1,615		1,654		3,263		3,141
Total insurance		17,210		16,517		34,606		32,323
BNSF		4,602		5,893		10,019		11,655
Berkshire Hathaway Energy		4,659		4,970		9,166		9,642
Manufacturing		13,033		16,206		28,068		31,276
McLane Company		11,218		12,411		23,039		24,610
Service and retailing		6,037		7,462		12,993		14,487
		56,759		63,459		117,891		123,993
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount:
Corporate, eliminations and other		81		139		214		283
	$	56,840	$	63,598	$	118,105	$	124,276

	Second Quarter						First Six Months
	2020			2019			2020			2019
Earnings Before Income Taxes of Operating Businesses:
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	2,060		$	393		$	3,044		$	1,163
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		96			167			63			137
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		(1,103	)		(104	)		(1,592	)		(357	)
Investment income		1,613			1,649			3,260			3,134
Total insurance		2,666			2,105			4,775			4,077
BNSF		1,494			1,773			3,078			3,438
Berkshire Hathaway Energy		533			593			952			1,133
Manufacturing		1,399			2,527			3,510			4,721
McLane Company		44			59			109			170
Service and retailing		408			745			966			1,366
		6,544			7,802			13,390			14,905
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount:
Investment and derivative gains (losses)		40,085			10,048			(30,190	)		30,370
Interest expense, not allocated to segments		(111	)		(107	)		(247	)		(216	)
Equity method investments		(257	)		124			43			292
Goodwill and intangible asset impairments		(10,634	)		—			(10,634	)		—
Corporate, eliminations and other		(218	)		(108	)		(2	)		55
	$	35,409		$	17,759		$	(27,640	)	$	45,406