(Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Principal Owners and Affiliates [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Affiliate ownership interest in Icahn Enterprises (in units)	97,764,251
Affiliate ownership interest in Icahn Enterprises	93.20%
Icahn Enterprises G.P. [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
General partner ownership percentage in Icahn Enterprises	1.00%
Aggregate general partner ownership interest of parent and operating subsidiary	1.99%
Icahn Enterprises Holdings [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
Percentage of equity ownership in operating subsidiary	99.00%
Icahn Enterprises G.P. [Member]
Entity Information [Line Items]
General partner ownership interest in Icahn Enterprises Holdings	1.00%

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Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Partnership (LP), Managing Member or General Partner, Aggregate Ownership interest of Parent and Holding Company Subsidiaries

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Partnership (LP), Members or Limited Partners, Ownership Interest, Units

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Subsidiary of Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Partnership (LP), Managing Member or General Partner, Ownership Interest

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The number of units or percentage investment held by the managing member or general partner of the LLC or LP.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Practice Bulletin (PB)

-Number 14

-Paragraph 15

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 272

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

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- Definition

The number of units or percentage investment held by one or more members or limited partners of the LLC or LP.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 272

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

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- Definition

The number of units or percentage investment held in the subsidiary by the limited liability company or limited partnership.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 22

-Article 12

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