Income Taxes Narrative (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Book basis of net assets	$ 4,669	$ 3,755
Book/tax basis difference	(1,840)	(1,553)
Tax basis of net assets	2,829	2,202
Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(157)	(46)	(37)
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	238	12	28
Income tax benefit (expense)	81	(34)	(9)
Deferred tax assets, Property, pland and equipment	146	180
Deferred tax asset, net operating loss	1,163	873
deferred tax asset, Tax credits	134	120
Deferred tax asset, Post-employment benefits, including pensions	441	412
Deferred tax asset, Reoganization costs	51	78
Deferred tax asset, Other	311	167
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross	2,246	1,830
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	(1,550)	(1,403)
Deferred Tax Assets, Net of Valuation Allowance	696	427
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Property, Plant and Equipment	(644)	(115)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Intangible Assets	(377)	(263)
Deferred tax liability, Investment in partnerships	(303)	(103)
Deferred tax liabilities, Investment in subsidiaries	(307)	(366)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Other	(27)	(14)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Gross	(1,658)	(861)
deferred tax liabilities, net of deferred tax assets	(962)	(434)
Deferred tax asset	373	122
Deferred tax liability	1,335	556
Changes in valuation allowance on deferred tax assets	147	1
Cash and cash equivalents	3,071	2,278	2,963	2,256
WPI [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Changes in valuation allowance on deferred tax assets	31	23
ARI [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries	2	2
Deferred tax asst for tax loss carryforwrds and credits, subject to expiration	6
American Entertainment Properties Corp. [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	48
Changes in valuation allowance on deferred tax assets	221
Deferred tax asst for tax loss carryforwrds and credits, subject to expiration	727
Icahn Enterprises Holdings [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Book basis of net assets	4,691	3,776
Book/tax basis difference	(1,840)	(1,553)
Tax basis of net assets	2,851	2,223
Income tax benefit (expense)	81	(34)	(9)
Deferred tax liability	1,335	556
Cash and cash equivalents	3,071	2,278	2,963	2,256
Federal-Mogul [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries	719
Deferred tax asst for tax loss carryforwrds and credits, subject to expiration	903
Domestic deferred tax asst for tax loss carryforwards and credits, subject to expiration	507
Tropicana [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Changes in valuation allowance on deferred tax assets		47
Deferred tax asst for tax loss carryforwrds and credits, subject to expiration	174
Atlantic Coast [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Deferred tax asst for tax loss carryforwrds and credits, subject to expiration	11
Viskase [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Changes in valuation allowance on deferred tax assets		30
Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries	62
Domestic deferred tax asst for tax loss carryforwards and credits, subject to expiration	107
United States | Viskase [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance	55
United Kingdom | Federal-Mogul [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Foreign deferred tax asst for tax loss carryforwards and credits, subject to expiration	199
Other foreign jurisdictions [Member] | Federal-Mogul [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Foreign deferred tax asst for tax loss carryforwards and credits, subject to expiration	197
Foreign Tax Authority [Member] | Viskase [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Foreign deferred tax asst for tax loss carryforwards and credits, subject to expiration	927
Portion of deferred tax asset from operating loss carryforwards with defined expiration date	325
Foreign Tax Authority [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(53)	(45)	(54)
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	47	8	43
Domestic Tax Authority [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(104)	(1)	17
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	191	4	(15)
Other Segments [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Changes in valuation allowance on deferred tax assets	221
Federal-Mogul [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Changes in valuation allowance on deferred tax assets	399
Energy Segment [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Income tax benefit (expense)	182
Cash and cash equivalents	896
Energy Segment [Member] | Kansas | American Entertainment Properties Corp. [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Domestic tax credits	10
Energy Segment [Member] | Oklahoma | American Entertainment Properties Corp. [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Domestic tax credits	4
Automotive Segment [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Income tax benefit (expense)	(29)	(17)	(12)
Cash and cash equivalents	467	953
Cash and cash equivalents held by foreign subsidiaries	$ 219
Minimum [Member] | ARI [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2014
Minimum [Member] | American Entertainment Properties Corp. [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2025
Minimum [Member] | Tropicana [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2028
Minimum [Member] | Atlantic Coast [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2025
Minimum [Member] | United States | Federal-Mogul [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2013
Minimum [Member] | United States | Viskase [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2024
Minimum [Member] | Foreign Tax Authority [Member] | Viskase [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2015
Maximum [Member] | ARI [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2031
Maximum [Member] | American Entertainment Properties Corp. [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2031
Maximum [Member] | United States | Federal-Mogul [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates	2032