Segment Reporting, Income Statements (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2012 reporting_segments		Sep. 30, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments					9
Revenues:
Net sales	$ 4,519		$ 2,279		$ 10,625		$ 6,887
Other revenues from operations	215		215		611		591
Net gain from investment activities	(81)		(49)		255		1,158
Interest and dividend income	21		22		63		83
Other (loss) income, net	(171)		(24)		(162)		(56)
Total Revenues	4,503		2,443		11,392		8,663
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	3,702		1,975		9,003		5,909
Other expenses from operations	111		112		325		324
Selling, general and administrative	284		285		930		908
Restructuring	5		5		21		9
Impairment	53		0		87		3
Interest expense	138		105		383		327
Total Expenses	4,293		2,482		10,749		7,480
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	210		(39)		643		1,183
Income tax (expense) benefit	(110)		(13)		8		(55)
Net income (loss)	100		(52)		651		1,128
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	(15)		13		(273)		(638)
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	85		(39)		378		490
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	188		141		617		359
Depreciation and amortization	156	[1]	103	[1]	389	[1]	306	[1]
Investment Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	0		0		0		0
Other revenues from operations	0		0		0		0
Net gain from investment activities	(81)		(40)		249		1,151
Interest and dividend income	19		20		56		80
Other (loss) income, net	0		(23)		(1)		(72)
Total Revenues	(62)		(43)		304		1,159
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	0		0		0		0
Other expenses from operations	0		0		0		0
Selling, general and administrative	7		1		18		22
Restructuring	0		0		0		0
Impairment	0		0		0		0
Interest expense	0		2		2		11
Total Expenses	7		3		20		33
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	(69)		(46)		284		1,126
Income tax (expense) benefit	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss)	(69)		(46)		284		1,126
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	42		31		(163)		(599)
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(27)		(15)		121		527
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	0		0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Automotive Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	1,602		1,732		5,070		5,256
Other revenues from operations	0		0		0		0
Net gain from investment activities	0		0		0		0
Interest and dividend income	2		1		4		4
Other (loss) income, net	(4)		1		9		13
Total Revenues	1,600		1,734		5,083		5,273
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	1,390		1,469		4,327		4,415
Other expenses from operations	0		0		0		0
Selling, general and administrative	137		184		524		558
Restructuring	5		3		19		4
Impairment	50		0		79		3
Interest expense	35		35		106		105
Total Expenses	1,617		1,691		5,055		5,085
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	(17)		43		28		188
Income tax (expense) benefit	7		(9)		27		(40)
Net income (loss)	(10)		34		55		148
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	2		(9)		(17)		(40)
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(8)		25		38		108
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	73		105		296		282
Depreciation and amortization	72	[1]	73	[1]	212	[1]	212	[1]
Energy Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	2,410	[2]			3,822	[2]
Other revenues from operations	0	[2]			0	[2]
Net gain from investment activities	0	[2]			0	[2]
Interest and dividend income	0	[2]			0	[2]
Other (loss) income, net	(169)	[2]			(171)	[2]
Total Revenues	2,241	[2]			3,651	[2]
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	1,857	[2]			3,095	[2]
Other expenses from operations	0	[2]			0	[2]
Selling, general and administrative	34	[2]			70	[2]
Restructuring	0	[2]			0	[2]
Impairment	0	[2]			0	[2]
Interest expense	14	[2]			23	[2]
Total Expenses	1,905	[2]			3,188	[2]
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	336	[2]			463	[2]
Income tax (expense) benefit	(123)	[2]			(171)	[2]
Net income (loss)	213	[2]			292	[2]
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	(46)	[2]			(64)	[2]
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	167	[2]			228	[2]
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	40	[2]			71	[2]
Depreciation and amortization	49	[1],[2]			79	[1],[2]
Gaming Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	0		0		0		0
Other revenues from operations	171		175		490		477
Net gain from investment activities	0		0		0		0
Interest and dividend income	1		0		1		0
Other (loss) income, net	5		0		(3)		0
Total Revenues	177		175		488		477
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	0		0		0		0
Other expenses from operations	83		86		245		249
Selling, general and administrative	66		62		192		191
Restructuring	0		0		0		0
Impairment	0		0		2		0
Interest expense	4		2		10		7
Total Expenses	153		150		449		447
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	24		25		39		30
Income tax (expense) benefit	(2)		(4)		(3)		(1)
Net income (loss)	22		21		36		29
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	(7)		(9)		(11)		(14)
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	15		12		25		15
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	9		9		32		22
Depreciation and amortization	8	[1]	8	[1]	24	[1]	26	[1]
Railcar Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	131		108		430		271
Other revenues from operations	21		18		58		52
Net gain from investment activities	0		0		0		0
Interest and dividend income	0		1		2		3
Other (loss) income, net	(2)		(2)		(2)		(7)
Total Revenues	150		125		488		319
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	103		98		347		251
Other expenses from operations	15		13		43		39
Selling, general and administrative	6		3		20		15
Restructuring	0		0		0		0
Impairment	0		0		0		0
Interest expense	5		4		15		15
Total Expenses	129		118		425		320
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	21		7		63		(1)
Income tax (expense) benefit	(9)		(3)		(26)		0
Net income (loss)	12		4		37		(1)
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	(6)		(2)		(17)		0
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	6		2		20		(1)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	49		10		168		12
Depreciation and amortization	7	[1]	5	[1]	18	[1]	17	[1]
Food Packaging Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	86		87		255		256
Other revenues from operations	0		0		0		0
Net gain from investment activities	0		0		0		0
Interest and dividend income	0		0		0		0
Other (loss) income, net	0		(1)		(2)		(1)
Total Revenues	86		86		253		255
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	66		66		196		193
Other expenses from operations	0		0		0		0
Selling, general and administrative	11		11		35		33
Restructuring	0		0		0		0
Impairment	0		0		0		0
Interest expense	5		6		15		16
Total Expenses	82		83		246		242
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	4		3		7		13
Income tax (expense) benefit	(2)		(1)		(3)		(4)
Net income (loss)	2		2		4		9
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	0		(1)		(1)		(3)
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	2		1		3		6
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	12		11		35		25
Depreciation and amortization	5	[1]	3	[1]	14	[1]	11	[1]
Metals Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	236		272		871		839
Other revenues from operations	0		0		0		0
Net gain from investment activities	0		0		0		0
Interest and dividend income	0		0		0		0
Other (loss) income, net	0		0		1		0
Total Revenues	236		272		872		839
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	239		267		881		806
Other expenses from operations	0		0		0		0
Selling, general and administrative	7		6		21		19
Restructuring	0		0		0		0
Impairment	0		0		0		0
Interest expense	0		0		0		0
Total Expenses	246		273		902		825
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	(10)		(1)		(30)		14
Income tax (expense) benefit	5		1		9		(3)
Net income (loss)	(5)		0		(21)		11
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(5)		0		(21)		11
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	5		6		14		18
Depreciation and amortization	7	[1]	5	[1]	19	[1]	15	[1]
Real Estate Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	1		1		4		6
Other revenues from operations	23		22		63		62
Net gain from investment activities	0		0		0		0
Interest and dividend income	0		0		0		0
Other (loss) income, net	0		2		2		2
Total Revenues	24		25		69		70
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	0		(1)		1		3
Other expenses from operations	13		13		37		36
Selling, general and administrative	3		4		10		11
Restructuring	0		0		0		0
Impairment	0		0		0		0
Interest expense	2		1		4		5
Total Expenses	18		17		52		55
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	6		8		17		15
Income tax (expense) benefit	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss)	6		8		17		15
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	6		8		17		15
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	0		0		1		0
Depreciation and amortization	6	[1]	6	[1]	17	[1]	17	[1]
Home Fashion Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	53		79		173		259
Other revenues from operations	0		0		0		0
Net gain from investment activities	0		0		0		0
Interest and dividend income	0		0		0		0
Other (loss) income, net	1		1		3		4
Total Revenues	54		80		176		263
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	47		76		156		241
Other expenses from operations	0		0		0		0
Selling, general and administrative	9		14		28		45
Restructuring	0		2		2		5
Impairment	3		0		6		0
Interest expense	0		0		0		1
Total Expenses	59		92		192		292
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	(5)		(12)		(16)		(29)
Income tax (expense) benefit	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss)	(5)		(12)		(16)		(29)
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	0		3		0		9
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(5)		(9)		(16)		(20)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	0		0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	2	[1]	3	[1]	6	[1]	8	[1]
Holding Company [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	0		0		0		0
Other revenues from operations	0		0		0		0
Net gain from investment activities	0		(9)		6		16
Interest and dividend income	(1)		0		0		1
Other (loss) income, net	(2)		(2)		2		5
Total Revenues	(3)		(11)		8		22
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	0		0		0		0
Other expenses from operations	0		0		0		0
Selling, general and administrative	4		0		12		14
Restructuring	0		0		0		0
Impairment	0		0		0		0
Interest expense	73		55		208		167
Total Expenses	77		55		220		181
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	(80)		(66)		(212)		(159)
Income tax (expense) benefit	14		3		175		(7)
Net income (loss)	(66)		(63)		(37)		(166)
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(66)		(63)		(37)		(166)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	0		0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Eliminations [Member]
Revenues:
Net sales	0		0				0
Other revenues from operations	0		0		0		0
Net gain from investment activities	0		0		0		(9)
Interest and dividend income	0		0		0		(5)
Other (loss) income, net	0		0		0		0
Total Revenues	0		0		0		(14)
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	0		0		0		0
Other expenses from operations	0		0		0		0
Selling, general and administrative	0		0		0		0
Restructuring	0		0		0		0
Impairment	0		0		0		0
Interest expense	0		0		0		0
Total Expenses	0		0		0		0
Income before income tax (expense) benefit	0		0		0		(14)
Income tax (expense) benefit	0		0		0		0
Net income (loss)	0		0		0		(14)
Less: net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interests	0		0		0		9
Net income (loss) attributable to Icahn Enterprises	0		0		0		(5)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	0		0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	[1]

[1] Excludes amounts related to the amortization of debt discounts and premiums.

[2] We consolidated CVR effective May 4, 2012.