Condensed Balance Sheets By Reporting Segment (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,868	$ 2,912	$ 3,342	$ 3,262
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	2,005	1,435
Investments	14,869us-gaap_Investments	14,500us-gaap_Investments
Accounts receivable, net	1,776us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNet	1,691us-gaap_AccountsReceivableNet
Inventories, net	1,937us-gaap_InventoryNet	1,879us-gaap_InventoryNet
Property, plant and equipment, net	9,201us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet	8,955us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	3,181	3,088
Other assets	1,404	1,320
Total assets	37,241us-gaap_Assets	35,780us-gaap_Assets
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	5,478	4,877
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	958	337
Due to brokers	4,627us-gaap_DueToCorrespondentBrokers	5,197us-gaap_DueToCorrespondentBrokers
Post-employment benefit liability	1,355	1,391
Debt	12,088us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations	11,588us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations
Total assets	24,506us-gaap_Liabilities	23,390us-gaap_Liabilities
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	5,322us-gaap_StockholdersEquity	5,443us-gaap_StockholdersEquity
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	7,413us-gaap_MinorityInterest	6,947us-gaap_MinorityInterest
Total equity	12,735	12,390	12,891	13,309
Total liabilities and equity	37,241	35,780
Investment Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	9	2
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	1,903	1,366
Investments	14,393	13,961
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	295	131
Total assets	16,600	15,460
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	1,310	864
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	958	337
Due to brokers	4,627	5,197
Post-employment benefit liability	0	0
Debt	0	0
Total assets	6,895	6,398
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	4,470	4,284
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	5,235	4,778
Total equity	9,705	9,062
Total liabilities and equity	16,600	15,460
Automotive Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	323	332
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	0	0
Investments	257	269
Accounts receivable, net	1,443	1,356
Inventories, net	1,290	1,215
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,295	2,160
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	1,845	1,744
Other assets	444	453
Total assets	7,897	7,529
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	1,987	1,933
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	1,295	1,328
Debt	2,904	2,690
Total assets	6,186	5,951
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	1,356	1,231
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	355	347
Total equity	1,711	1,578
Total liabilities and equity	7,897	7,529
Energy Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	852	754
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	0	0
Investments	38	77
Accounts receivable, net	137	137
Inventories, net	311	330
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,676	2,692
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	1,179	1,184
Other assets	154	160
Total assets	5,347	5,334
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	1,450	1,471
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	0	0
Debt	675	675
Total assets	2,125	2,146
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	1,652	1,612
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	1,570	1,576
Total equity	3,222	3,188
Total liabilities and equity	5,347	5,334
Metals Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	10	19
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	4	4
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	38	51
Inventories, net	60	67
Property, plant and equipment, net	150	144
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	7	8
Other assets	24	22
Total assets	293	315
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	54	60
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	2	2
Debt	3	3
Total assets	59	65
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	234	250
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0
Total equity	234	250
Total liabilities and equity	293	315
Railcar Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	581	412
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	45	35
Investments	30	29
Accounts receivable, net	46	41
Inventories, net	122	117
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,507	2,376
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	7	7
Other assets	91	103
Total assets	3,429	3,120
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	308	294
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	8	9
Debt	2,420	2,133
Total assets	2,736	2,436
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	714	711
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	(21)	(27)
Total equity	693	684
Total liabilities and equity	3,429	3,120
Gaming Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	186	196
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	14	16
Investments	35	33
Accounts receivable, net	9	9
Inventories, net	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	725	719
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	75	75
Other assets	215	212
Total assets	1,259	1,260
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	123	130
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	0	0
Debt	294	295
Total assets	417	425
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	582	578
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	260	257
Total equity	842	835
Total liabilities and equity	1,259	1,260
Food Packaging Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	39	39
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	1	1
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	62	63
Inventories, net	79	77
Property, plant and equipment, net	149	154
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	9	9
Other assets	89	93
Total assets	428	436
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	65	64
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	50	52
Debt	273	274
Total assets	388	390
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	26	30
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	14	16
Total equity	40	46
Total liabilities and equity	428	436
Real Estate Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	36	24
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	30	2
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	5	4
Inventories, net	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	622	633
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	56	58
Other assets	24	24
Total assets	773	745
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	22	20
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	0	0
Debt	31	32
Total assets	53	52
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	720	693
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0
Total equity	720	693
Total liabilities and equity	773	745
Home Fashion Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	6	11
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	5	8
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	36	30
Inventories, net	75	73
Property, plant and equipment, net	74	74
Goodwill and intangible assets, net	3	3
Other assets	10	9
Total assets	209	208
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	30	28
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 assets	30	28
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	179	180
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0
Total equity	179	180
Total liabilities and equity	209	208
Holding Company [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	826	1,123
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	3	3
Investments	116	131
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	58	113
Total assets	1,006	1,373
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	129	13
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	0	0
Due to brokers	0	0
Post-employment benefit liability	0	0
Debt	5,488	5,486
Total assets	5,617	5,499
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(4,611)	(4,126)
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0
Total equity	(4,611)	(4,126)
Total liabilities and equity	1,006	1,373
Holding Company [Member]
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	2,868	2,912	3,342	3,262
Cash held at consolidated affiliated partnerships and restricted cash	2,005	1,435
Investments	14,869	14,500
Accounts receivable, net	1,776	1,691
Inventories, net	1,937	1,879
Property, plant and equipment, net	9,201	8,955
Total assets	37,264	35,803
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value	958	337
Due to brokers	4,627	5,197
Post-employment benefit liability	1,355	1,391
Debt	12,088	11,588
Total assets	24,506	23,390
Equity attributable to Icahn Enterprises	5,345	5,466
Equity attributable to non-controlling interests	7,413	6,947
Total equity	12,758	12,413	12,913	13,331
Total liabilities and equity	37,264	35,803
Holding Company [Member] \| Investment Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total assets	16,600	15,460
Holding Company [Member] \| Automotive Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total assets	7,897	7,529
Holding Company [Member] \| Energy Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total assets	5,347	5,334
Holding Company [Member] \| Metals Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total assets	293	315
Holding Company [Member] \| Railcar Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total assets	3,429	3,120
Holding Company [Member] \| Gaming Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total assets	1,259	1,260
Holding Company [Member] \| Food Packaging Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total assets	428	436
Holding Company [Member] \| Real Estate Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total assets	773	745
Holding Company [Member] \| Home Fashion Segment [Member]
ASSETS
Total assets	209	208
Holding Company [Member] \| Holding Company [Member]
ASSETS
Total assets	$ 1,029	$ 1,396

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