INVESTMENTS - Investments in Consolidated Variable Interest Entities (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Available for sale, fixed maturity securities, amortized cost		$ 76,856	[1],[2]	$ 75,132	[3]
Available for sale, fixed maturity securities	[4],[5]	82,895	[1],[2]	84,313	[3]
Equity securities	[4],[5],[6]	987
Available for sale securities, equity securities				1,023
Other investments	[7]	7,706		3,402
Asset derivatives		417		331
Assets, fair value		88,788		89,215
Liability derivatives		387		474
Liabilities		116,944		112,619
Liabilities, fair value		387		474
Variable Interest Entity, Consolidated
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Available for sale, fixed maturity securities, amortized cost	[8]	3,849		4,538
Available for sale, fixed maturity securities	[8],[9]	4,466		5,509
Equity securities, FV-NI, cost		160
Equity securities		160
Available for sale equity securities, amortized cost basis				606
Available for sale securities, equity securities				753
Other investments	[10]	5,856		2,341
Other investments, fair value	[10]	5,834		2,328
Asset derivatives, amortized cost	[11]	182		151
Asset derivatives	[11]	182		151
Assets, amortized cost		10,047		7,636
Assets, fair value		10,642		8,741
Liability derivatives, amortized cost	[11]	102		128
Liability derivatives	[11]	102		128
Liabilities		102		128
Liabilities, fair value		$ 102		$ 128

[1] Includes perpetual securities ($1,139 at amortized cost and $1,140 at fair value)

[2] Includes perpetual securities, categorized in accordance with their respective economic maturities (the expected maturity date created by the combination of features in the financial instrument)

[3] Includes perpetual securities ($1,462 at amortized cost and $1,789 at fair value)

[4] Includes perpetual securities

[5] Includes perpetual securities

[6] Includes perpetual securities ($62 at fair value)

[7] Includes $5,856 in 2018 and $2,341 in 2017 of loan receivables and limited partnerships from consolidated variable interest entities

[8] Includes perpetual securities

[9] Includes perpetual securities, see Notes 1 and 3 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

[10] Consists of TREs, CMLs, MMLs, and alternative investments in limited partnerships

[11] Consists entirely of derivatives