Business segment data (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

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 2021 and 2020 were as follows (in millions).

	Second Quarter					First Six Months
	2021			2020		2021			2020
Revenues of Operating Businesses
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	9,546		$	9,040	$	18,469		$	18,149
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		2,755			2,244		5,409			4,613
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		4,862			4,311		9,709			8,581
Investment income		1,459			1,615		2,873			3,263
Total insurance		18,622			17,210		36,460			34,606
BNSF		5,809			4,602		11,210			10,019
Berkshire Hathaway Energy		6,085			4,659		12,009			9,166
Manufacturing		17,412			13,033		33,325			28,068
McLane Company		12,295			11,218		23,917			23,039
Service and retailing		8,977			6,037		16,935			12,993
		69,200			56,759		133,856			117,891
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount
Corporate, eliminations and other		(86	)		81		(143	)		214
	$	69,114		$	56,840	$	133,713		$	118,105

	Second Quarter						First Six Months
	2021			2020			2021			2020
Earnings (Loss) Before Income Taxes of Operating Businesses
Insurance:
Underwriting:
GEICO	$	626		$	2,060		$	1,649		$	3,044
Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group		166			96			372			63
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group		(327	)		(1,103	)		(590	)		(1,592	)
Investment income		1,456			1,613			2,868			3,260
Total insurance		1,921			2,666			4,299			4,775
BNSF		1,979			1,494			3,638			3,078
Berkshire Hathaway Energy		739			533			1,422			952
Manufacturing		2,714			1,399			5,150			3,510
McLane Company		84			44			187			109
Service and retailing		1,186			408			2,124			966
		8,623			6,544			16,820			13,390
Reconciliation of segments to consolidated amount
Investment and derivative gains (losses)		27,394			40,085			33,094			(30,190	)
Interest expense, not allocated to segments		(144	)		(111	)		(258	)		(247	)
Equity method investments		147			(257	)		398			43
Goodwill and intangible impairments		—			(10,634	)		—			(10,634	)
Corporate, eliminations and other		(299	)		(218	)		195			(2	)
	$	35,721		$	35,409		$	50,249		$	(27,640	)