Long-Term Debt - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended					3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 USD ($)	May 31, 2013 USD ($)	Aug. 26, 2011 USD ($)	May 31, 2013 Leucadia [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 15, 2013 New senior unsecured long-term debt [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 15, 2013 5.125% Senior Notes, due 2023 [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 15, 2013 6.5% Senior Notes, due 2043 [Member] USD ($)	Jul. 13, 2012 2.25% Euro Medium Term Notes, due 2022 [Member] EUR (€)	Apr. 30, 2012 6.875% Senior Note, due 2021 [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2009 3.875% Convertible Senior Debentures, due 2029 [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2013 3.875% Convertible Senior Debentures, due 2029 [Member] Leucadia [Member] USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt at fair value	$ 6,100,000,000
Difference between fair value over the total principal amount	536,500,000
Issuance of senior unsecured long-term debt						1,000,000,000	600,000,000	400,000,000	4,000,000	750,000,000	345,000,000
Proceeds, net of original issue discount amount							595,600,000	391,700,000	2,800,000	197,700,000
Senior long-term debt, interest rate							5.125%	6.50%	2.25%	6.875%		3.875%
Senior long-term debt, due date							2023	2043
Expiry date of term loan			Mar. 01, 2016						Jul. 13, 2022			Nov. 01, 2029
Additional aggregate principal amount										200,000,000
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt												9,900,000
Unamortized discount arising on repurchase of own long-term debt		30,900,000
Unamortized balance reduced	0
Debenture Principal amount					1,000
Debt Instrument Convertible Conversion Ratio					21.8728
Conversion price of common stock					$ 45.72
Debt Instrument Convertible Conversion Ratio												130.00%
Earliest period of conversion price												20 days
Latest period of conversion price												30 days
Consecutive trading days												10 days
Trading price per debenture related to common stock												95.00%
Debentures convertible at holder's options												1) Leucadia's common stock price is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price for at least 20 trading days in a period of 30 consecutive trading days; 2) if the trading price per debenture is less than 95% of the price of the common stock times the conversion ratio for any 10 consecutive trading days; 3) if the debentures are called for redemption; or 4) upon the occurrence of specific corporate actions.
Description to redeem the debentures for par, plus accrued interest												On or after November 1, 2012 if the price of Leucadia's common stock is greater than 130% of the conversion price for at least 20 days in a period of 30 consecutive trading days and we may redeem the debentures for par, plus accrued interest, at our election any time on or after November 1, 2017.
Description of Contingent Debenture Interest Payment												November 1, 2017, contingent interest will accrue at 0.375% if the average trading price of a debenture for 5 trading days ending on and including the third trading day immediately preceding a six-month interest period equals or exceed $1,200 per $1,000 debenture.
Trading price of contingent interest												1,200
Revolving credit facility			950,000,000	950,000,000
Borrowed unsecured credit facility				$ 250,000,000