Description of Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Reclassifications [Policy Text Block]	Reclassifications Certain reclassifications from the prior year presentation have been made to conform to the current year presentation.
Principals of consolidation [Policy Text Block]	Principles of Consolidation Our condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of (i) Icahn Enterprises and Icahn Enterprises Holdings and (ii) the wholly and majority owned subsidiaries of Icahn Enterprises and Icahn Enterprises Holdings, in addition to those entities in which we have a controlling interest as a general partner interest. In evaluating whether we have a controlling financial interest in entities that we consolidate, we consider the following: (1) for voting interest entities, we consolidate these entities in which we own a majority of the voting interests; and (2) for limited partnership entities, we consolidate these entities if we are the general partner of such entities and for which no substantive kick-out rights (the rights underlying the limited partners' ability to dissolve the limited partnership or otherwise remove the general partners are collectively referred to as “kick-out” rights) or participating rights exist. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Fair value of financial instruments [Policy Text Block]	Fair Value of Financial Instruments The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash, accounts receivable, due from brokers, accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities and due to brokers are deemed to be reasonable estimates of their fair values because of their short-term nature. See Note 4, “Investments and Related Matters,” and Note 5, “Fair Value Measurements,” for a detailed discussion of our investments. The fair value of our long-term debt is based on the quoted market prices for the same or similar issues or on the current rates offered to us for debt of the same remaining maturities. The carrying value and estimated fair value of our long-term debt as of March 31, 2015 was approximately $12.1 billion and $12.3 billion, respectively. The carrying value and estimated fair value of our long-term debt as of December 31, 2014 was each approximately $11.6 billion.
Restricted cash [Policy Text Block]	Restricted Cash Our restricted cash balance was approximately $2.0 billion and $1.3 billion as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.
Adoption of new accounting pronouncements [Policy Text Block]	Adoption of New Accounting Standards In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-08, which amends FASB ASC Topic 205, Presentation of Financial Statements and FASB ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment. This ASU is effective on a prospective basis applicable to activities that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within those years, and changes the requirements for reporting discontinued operations. We adopted ASU No. 2014-08 during the first quarter of 2015 and believe that this guidance will reduce the number of dispositions that would qualify for discontinued operations at our parent company level, thereby reducing the complexity associated with the reporting and disclosure requirements of discontinued operations that would have been otherwise required previously. In November 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-17, which amends FASB Topic 805, Business Combinations. This ASU provides an acquired entity with an option to apply pushdown accounting in its separate financial statements upon the occurrence of an event in which an acquirer obtains control of the acquired entity. The ASU became effective on November 18, 2014. The adoption of this guidance during the fourth quarter of 2014 did not have any effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows and disclosures. In January 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-01, which amends FASB ASU Topic 220-20, Income Statement - Extraordinary and Unusual Items. This ASU eliminates from GAAP the concept of extraordinary items. Although the ASU will eliminate the requirements in Subtopic 225-20 for reporting entities to consider whether an underlying event or transaction is extraordinary, the presentation and disclosure guidance for items that are unusual in nature or occur infrequently will be retained and will be expanded to include items that are both unusual in nature and infrequently occurring. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. A reporting entity may apply the amendments prospectively. A reporting entity also may apply the amendments retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. Early adoption is permitted provided that the guidance is applied from the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We adopted ASU No. 2015-01 during the first quarter of 2015 and believe that the adoption of this guidance will have no impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows and disclosures.
Recently issued accounting pronouncements [Policy Text Block]	Recently Issued Accounting Standards In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, creating a new topic, FASB ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, superseding revenue recognition requirements in FASB ASC Topic 605, Revenue Recognition. This ASU requires that an entity recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, an entity is required to disclose sufficient information to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim reporting periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016, using one of two retrospective application methods. Early adoption is not permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows and disclosures. In June 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-12, which amends FASB Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. This ASU requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. A reporting entity should apply existing guidance in FASB ASC Topic 718 as it relates to awards with performance conditions that affect vesting to account for such awards. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim reporting periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. We believe that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows and disclosures. In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, which amends FASB ASU Topic 810, Consolidations. This ASU amends the current consolidation guidance, including introducing a separate consolidation analysis specific to limited partnerships and other similar entities. This ASU requires that limited partnerships and similar legal entities provide partners with either substantive kick-out rights or substantive participating rights over the general partner in order to be considered a voting interest entity. The specialized consolidation model and guidance for limited partnerships and similar legal entities have been eliminated. There is no longer a presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. For limited partnerships and similar legal entities that qualify as voting interest entities, a limited partner with a controlling financial interest should consolidate a limited partnership. A controlling financial interest may be achieved through holding a limited partner interest that provides substantive kick-out rights. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. We are currently evaluating the standard and the impact on our consolidated financial statements and footnote disclosures. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which amends FASB ASU Subtopic 835-30, Interest - Imputation of Interest. The new standard requires that all costs incurred to issue debt be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the debt. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 31, 2015 and is required to be applied on a retrospective basis. Early adoption is permitted. We expect that the adoption of this new guidance will result in a reclassification of debt issuance costs on our consolidated balance sheets. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-04, Compensation-Retirement Benefits: Practical Expedient for the Measurement Date of an Employer’s Defined Benefit Obligation and Plan Assets, which amends FAB ASU Topic 715, Compensation - Retirement Benefits. This ASU provides a practical expedient that permits the entity to measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations using the month-end that is closest to the entity’s fiscal year-end and apply that practical expedient consistently from year to year. This ASU is effective for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015 with early adoption permitted. We anticipate that the adoption of this guidance will have minimal impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows and disclosures.

Entity's cash and cash equivalents accounting policy with respect to restricted balances. Restrictions may include legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against short-term borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or company statements of intention with regard to particular deposits; however, time deposits and short-term certificates of deposit are not generally included in legally restricted deposits.

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- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for consolidation to describe the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest held by the entity requires the variable interest entity to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the variable interest entity; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; and the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities that significantly impact the economic performance of the variable interest entity are shared (as defined).

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