Segment Reporting, Balance Sheets (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 3,071	$ 2,278	$ 2,963	$ 2,256
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	1,419	4,979
Investments	5,491	8,938
Accounts receivable, net	1,841	1,424
Inventories, net	1,955	1,344
Property, plant and equipment, net	6,523	3,505
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	3,288	2,026
Other assets	968	642
Total Assets	24,556	25,136
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	4,214	2,843
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	533	4,476
Due to brokers	0	2,171
Post-employment benefit liability	1,488	1,340
Debt	8,548	6,473
Total liabilities	14,783	17,303
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	4,669	3,755
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	5,104	4,078
Total equity	9,773	7,833	7,894	7,119
Total Liabilities and Equity	24,556	25,136
Investment Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	14	7
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	1,386	4,941
Investments	5,084	8,448
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	0	0
Other assets	109	81
Total Assets	6,593	13,477
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	152	162
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	533	4,476
Due to brokers	0	2,171
Post-employment benefit liability	0	0
Debt	0	0
Total liabilities	685	6,809
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	2,387	3,282
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	3,521	3,386
Total equity	5,908	6,668
Total Liabilities and Equity	6,593	13,477
Automotive Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	467	953
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	0	0
Investments	240	228
Accounts receivable, net	1,375	1,169
Inventories, net	1,074	956
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,971	1,855
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	1,782	1,808
Other assets	373	319
Total Assets	7,282	7,288
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	1,859	1,875
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	1,409	1,272
Debt	2,805	2,798
Total liabilities	6,073	5,945
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	860	967
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	349	376
Total equity	1,209	1,343
Total Liabilities and Equity	7,282	7,288
Energy Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	896
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	0
Investments	0
Accounts receivable, net	211
Inventories, net	528
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,648
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	1,327
Other assets	133
Total Assets	5,743
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	1,535
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0
Due to brokers	0
Post-employment benefit liability	0
Debt	926
Total liabilities	2,461
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	2,383
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	899
Total equity	3,282
Total Liabilities and Equity	5,743
Gaming Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	243	150
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	15	16
Investments	35	34
Accounts receivable, net	13	19
Inventories, net	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	431	416
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	68	77
Other assets	47	58
Total Assets	852	770
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	134	145
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	0	0
Debt	171	49
Total liabilities	305	194
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	379	402
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	168	174
Total equity	547	576
Total Liabilities and Equity	852	770
Railcar Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	207	307
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	3	0
Investments	57	45
Accounts receivable, net	37	34
Inventories, net	110	96
Property, plant and equipment, net	426	194
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	7	7
Other assets	15	21
Total Assets	862	704
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	156	110
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	10	9
Debt	275	275
Total liabilities	441	394
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	257	172
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	164	138
Total equity	421	310
Total Liabilities and Equity	862	704
Food Packaging Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	31	66
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	1	2
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	62	53
Inventories, net	61	53
Property, plant and equipment, net	154	131
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	12	14
Other assets	34	31
Total Assets	355	350
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	74	75
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	66	56
Debt	215	216
Total liabilities	355	347
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(3)	(1)
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	3	4
Total equity	0	3
Total Liabilities and Equity	355	350
Metals Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	14	7
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	4	2
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	102	98
Inventories, net	122	163
Property, plant and equipment, net	142	134
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	11	30
Other assets	22	42
Total Assets	417	476
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	73	85
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	3	3
Debt	3	4
Total liabilities	79	92
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	338	384
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0
Total equity	338	384
Total Liabilities and Equity	417	476
Real Estate Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	87	216
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	2	2
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	5	5
Inventories, net	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	665	679
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	78	87
Other assets	15	15
Total Assets	852	1,004
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	18	23
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	0	0
Debt	71	75
Total liabilities	89	98
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	763	906
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0
Total equity	763	906
Total Liabilities and Equity	852	1,004
Home Fashion Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	67	55
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	6	0
Investments	14	13
Accounts receivable, net	36	46
Inventories, net	60	76
Property, plant and equipment, net	83	93
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	3	3
Other assets	22	33
Total Assets	291	319
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	35	36
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	0	0
Debt	0	0
Total liabilities	35	36
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	256	283
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0
Total equity	256	283
Total Liabilities and Equity	291	319
Holding Company [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	1,045	517
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	2	16
Investments	61	170
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	3	3
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	0	0
Other assets	198	42
Total Assets	1,309	748
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	178	332
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	0	0
Debt	4,082	3,056
Total liabilities	4,260	3,388
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(2,951)	(2,640)
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0
Total equity	(2,951)	(2,640)
Total Liabilities and Equity	1,309	748
Holding Company [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	3,071	2,278	2,963	2,256
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	1,419	4,979
Investments	5,491	8,938
Accounts receivable, net	1,841	1,424
Inventories, net	1,955	1,344
Property, plant and equipment, net	6,523	3,505
Total Assets	24,570	25,147
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	533	4,476
Due to brokers	0	2,171
Post-employment benefit liability	1,488	1,340
Debt	8,540	6,463
Total liabilities	14,775	17,293
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	4,691	3,776
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	5,104	4,078
Total equity	9,795	7,854	7,914	7,274
Total Liabilities and Equity	24,570	25,147
Holding Company [Member] | Investment Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	6,593	13,477
Holding Company [Member] | Automotive Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	7,282	7,288
Holding Company [Member] | Energy Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	5,743	0
Holding Company [Member] | Gaming Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	852	770
Holding Company [Member] | Railcar Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	862	704
Holding Company [Member] | Food Packaging Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	355	350
Holding Company [Member] | Metals Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	417	476
Holding Company [Member] | Real Estate Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	852	1,004
Holding Company [Member] | Home Fashion Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	291	319
Holding Company [Member] | Holding Company [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	1,323	759
Holding Company [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
ASSETS
Total Assets	$ 0	$ 0