Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)		12 Months Ended														0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012 Principal Owners and Affiliates [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 ACF [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 ACF [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Starfire Holding Corporation [Member]	Dec. 01, 2012 Railcar Segment [Member] Term Loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Railcar Segment [Member] ARI [Member] ARI Joint Venture [Member]	Aug. 05, 2009 Railcar Segment [Member] ARI [Member] ARI Joint Venture [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Railcar Segment [Member] ARI [Member] ARI Joint Venture [Member] Term Loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Railcar Segment [Member] ARI [Member] ARI Joint Venture [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Automotive Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Automotive Segment [Member]	Dec. 29, 2009 Tropicana [Member] Exit Facility [Member]	Mar. 08, 2010 Tropicana [Member] Exit Facility [Member] Term Loan [Member]	Mar. 08, 2010 Tropicana [Member] Exit Facility [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Aug. 12, 2010 Tropicana [Member] Gaming Segment [Member]	Mar. 08, 2010 Investment Funds [Member] Exit Facility [Member] Term Loan [Member]	Mar. 08, 2010 Investment Funds [Member] Exit Facility [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 PSC Metals [Member] Metals Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 PSC Metals [Member] Metals Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 PSC Metals [Member] Metals Segment [Member] Cleveland OH Scrap Processing Facility [Member] scrap_processing_facilities	Dec. 31, 2011 PSC Metals [Member] Metals Segment [Member] Cleveland OH Scrap Processing Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 WPH [Member] Home Fashion Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Federal-Mogul [Member] Automotive Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Federal-Mogul [Member] Automotive Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Icahn Enterprises G.P. [Member] Principal Owners and Affiliates [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 CRNF [Member] Energy Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 CRNF [Member] Energy Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 CRNF [Member] Energy Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 CRNF [Member] Energy Segment [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Term Loan Facility						$ 199,800,000			$ 60,000,000					$ 130,000,000
Term Loan Facility, discount percentage														7.00%
Line of credit facility										10,000,000					20,000,000
Percentage of loan to joint venture held								50.00%					50.00%				50.00%
Funding commitment, percentage of loan							50.00%											100.00%
Accrued environmental liabilities											15,000,000	16,000,000							29,000,000	30,000,000			1,000,000
Possible material additional losses, above and beyond best estimate of required remediation costs																								43,000,000
Asset Retirement Obligation																								29,000,000	22,000,000
Compensatory damages sought																100,000,000
Outstanding balance of loans due from ARI Joint Venture to ARI							36,000,000
Average increase in annual property tax expense																											11,000,000	12,000,000	11,000,000	11,000,000
Negotiated settlement to resolve Port Refinery environmental matter																			225,000
Number of scrap processing facilities requiring refrigerant extraction services																					11
Number of years refrigerant extraction services must be offered at scrap processing facilities																					3 years
Costs associated with required injunctive relief, low estimate																					800,000
Costs associated with required injunctive relief, high estimate																					1,700,000
Civil penalty assessed and paid																						199,000
Affiliate ownership in parent company general partner																										100.00%
Affiliate ownership interest		93.20%
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan			130,000,000	112,000,000
Ownership Percentage by Mr. Icahn					100.00%
Subsidiary Indemnity Agreement, Pension Funding Contingencies As A Result of Being In The Controlled Group, Distribution Limitation, Net Worth Floor					250,000,000
Future minimum lease payments under operating leases, 2013	72,000,000
Future minimum lease payments under operating leases, 2014	61,000,000
Future minimum lease payments under operating leases, 2015	47,000,000
Future minimum lease payments under operating leases, 2016	41,000,000
Future minimum lease payments under operating leases, 2017	29,000,000
Future minimum lease payments under operating leases, Thereafter	108,000,000
Total future minimum lease payments under operating leases	$ 358,000,000