CAPITALIZATION - Additional Information (Details)					2 Months Ended	5 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 15, 2017 shares	Feb. 03, 2017 USD ($) common_stock_group $ / shares shares	Dec. 13, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 07, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($) shares	Feb. 03, 2017 USD ($) common_stock_group $ / shares shares	Feb. 03, 2017 USD ($) common_stock_group agreement $ / shares shares	Jan. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 15, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 29, 2016 $ / shares shares	Oct. 12, 2015 $ / shares
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock conversion ratio				1
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)		1,000,000				1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 0.01				$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)		0				0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding (in shares)		0				0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 0.01				$ 0.01	$ 0.01					$ 0.01
Stock issued during period (in shares)							164,000,000
Sale of stock, price per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 27.50
Issuance of common stock | $				$ 4,400,000,000			$ 14,482,000,000	$ 36,000,000
Number of stock purchase agreements | agreement							4
Shares authorized (in shares)		2,143,000,000				2,143,000,000	2,143,000,000					700,000,000
Number of groups of common stock | common_stock_group		2				2	2
Treasury stock repurchases | $							$ 752,000,000
Shares outstanding (in shares)		778,000,000				778,000,000	778,000,000					405,000,000
EMC
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock issued during period, acquisitions (in shares)							160,000,000
Cash consideration (in dollars per share) | $ / shares													$ 24.05
Aggregate purchase price - value of shares issued | $				$ 10,041,000,000
DHI Group | Dell Stock Repurchase Program
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Treasury stock repurchases | $							$ 10,000,000
Class V Common Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 0.01		$ 0.01		$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Stock issued during period, acquisitions (in shares)				223,000,000
Shares authorized (in shares)		343,000,000		343,000,000		343,000,000	343,000,000
Current economic interest (as a percent)		62.00%
Shares authorized and unissued				120,000,000
Shares outstanding (in shares)		209,000,000				209,000,000	209,000,000
Class V Common Stock | EMC
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Cash consideration (in dollars per share) | $ / shares				$ 45.07
Class V Common Stock | Dell Stock Repurchase Program
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program, authorized amount | $				$ 1,000,000,000
Stock repurchase program, term				2 years
Shares repurchased (in shares)							7,000,000
Treasury stock repurchases | $							$ 324,000,000
Stock repurchase program, remaining authorized repurchase amount | $		$ 676,000,000				$ 676,000,000	$ 676,000,000
Class V Common Stock | Class V Group Repurchase Program
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program, authorized amount | $			$ 500,000,000
Stock repurchase program, term			6 months
Shares repurchased (in shares)							7,000,000
Treasury stock repurchases | $							$ 418,000,000
Stock repurchase program, remaining authorized repurchase amount | $		$ 82,000,000				$ 82,000,000	$ 82,000,000
Class V Common Stock | December 2016 VMware Stock Repurchase Program
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares repurchased (in shares)						4,800,000
Class A Common Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares authorized (in shares)		600,000,000				600,000,000	600,000,000					350,000,000
Shares outstanding (in shares)		410,000,000				410,000,000	410,000,000					307,000,000
Class A Common Stock | VMware Stock Repurchase Program
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program, authorized amount | $									$ 1,200,000,000.0
Class A Common Stock | April 2016 VMware Stock Repurchase Program
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program, authorized amount | $											$ 1,200,000,000.0
Treasury stock repurchases | $						$ 611,000,000
Class A Common Stock | December 2016 VMware Stock Repurchase Program
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program, authorized amount | $										$ 500,000,000
Series B
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares authorized (in shares)		200,000,000				200,000,000	200,000,000					150,000,000
Shares outstanding (in shares)		137,000,000				137,000,000	137,000,000					98,000,000
Series C
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares authorized (in shares)		900,000,000				900,000,000	900,000,000					200,000,000
Shares outstanding (in shares)		22,000,000				22,000,000	22,000,000					0
DHI Group | Class V Common Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Current economic interest (as a percent)		38.00%
Subsequent Event | Class V Common Stock | Class V Group Repurchase Program
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Repurchases settled subsequent to year end | $					$ 41,000,000
Subsequent Event | Class V Common Stock | December 2016 VMware Stock Repurchase Program
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares repurchased (in shares)	1,400,000				1,000,000
MD Stockholders | Class A Common Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock issued during period (in shares)				86,909,091
MSDC Stockholders | Class A Common Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock issued during period (in shares)				16,104,050
SLP Stockholders | Series B
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock issued during period (in shares)				38,805,040
Temasek Holdings Private Limited | Series C
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock issued during period (in shares)				18,181,818
Class V Common Stock Owners
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares outstanding (in shares)		209,000,000				209,000,000	209,000,000
DHI Group Owners
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares outstanding (in shares)		127,000,000				127,000,000	127,000,000
Common Stock | Class V Common Stock | EMC
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Current economic interest (as a percent)				65.00%