Description of Business and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015
Schedule of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
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]	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.
Equity Method Investments, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Except for our Investment segment, for those investments in which we own 50% or less but greater than 20%, we generally account for such investments using the equity method, while investments in affiliates of 20% or less are accounted for under the cost method.
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 September 30, 2015 was each approximately $12.2 billion. 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 $980 million and approximately $1.3 billion as of September 30, 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 was amended by ASU No. 2015-14, issued in August 2015, which deferred the original effective date by one year; the effective date of this ASU is for fiscal years, and interim reporting periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017, using one of two retrospective application methods. Early adoption is permitted only as of the annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. 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 believe that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows and 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. Given the absence of authoritative guidance within this ASU regarding debt issuance costs related to line-of-credit, the SEC staff has stated that it would not object to an entity deferring and presenting debt issuance costs as an asset and subsequently amortization the deferred issuance costs ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 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 generally result in a reclassification of debt issuance costs on our consolidated balance sheets. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-06, Effects on Historical Earnings per Unit of Master Limited Partnership Dropdown Transactions, which amends FASB ASU Topic 260, Earnings Per Share. This ASU requires that for purposes of calculating earnings per share under the two-class method, the earnings or losses of a transferred business before the date of a dropdown transaction should be allocated entirely to the general partner. In that circumstance, the previously reported earnings per unit of the limited partners would not change as a result of the drop down transaction. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Earlier application is permitted. The adoption of this guidance will have no impact on our consolidated financial statements and footnote disclosures as we have historically allocated earnings or losses of a transferred business before the date of applicable dropdown transactions to the general partner for purposes of calculating earnings per share. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, which amends FASB ASU Topic 330, Inventory. This ASU requires entities to measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value and eliminates the option that currently exists for measuring inventory at market value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. This ASU should be applied prospectively with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim period or annual reporting period. 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. In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments, which amends FASB ASU Topic 805, Business Combinations. This ASU eliminates the requirement to retrospectively adjust provisional amounts recognized at the acquisition dates of business combinations. Rather, this ASU requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments in this ASU should be applied prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. 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.
Mining Segment [Member]
Schedule of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Revenue Recognition Our Mining segment recognizes revenue when title, ownership, and risk of loss pass to the customer, all of which occurs upon shipment or delivery of the product and is based on the applicable shipping terms. Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable, with any adjustments as a result of provisional pricing recorded against revenue.
Mining exploration and evaluation expenditures, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Exploration and Evaluation Expenditures Exploration and evaluation expenditures relate to costs incurred in the exploration and evaluation of potential mineral reserves and include costs such as exploratory drilling, sample testing and the costs of feasibility studies. For our Mining segment, exploration and evaluation expenditures other than that acquired through the purchase of another mining company, are expensed as incurred. Purchased exploration and evaluation assets are recognized as assets at their cost of acquisition or at fair value if purchased as part of a business combination. An impairment review is performed, either individually or at the cash-generating unit level, when there are indicators that the carrying amount of the assets may exceed their recoverable amounts. To the extent the carrying values exceed their recoverable amounts, the excess is recognized as an impairment charge in the statements of operations in the period this is determined. Exploration assets are reassessed on a regular basis and these costs are carried forward provided that certain conditions are met. Expenditures are transferred to mine development assets once the work completed supports the future development of the property, provided that technical feasibility and commercial viability studies have been successfully completed.
Mining properties and mine development expenditures, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Mining Properties and Mine Development Expenditures The costs of acquiring mineral reserves and resources for our Mining segment are capitalized on the consolidated balance sheets as incurred. Capitalized mineral reserves and mine development expenditures are, upon commencement of commercial production, depreciated using a unit of production method based on the estimated economically recoverable reserves to which they relate, or are written off if abandoned. The net carrying amounts of the mineral reserves and resources and capitalized mine development expenditures at each mine property are reviewed for impairment either individually or at the cash-generating unit level when events and circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. To the extent the carrying values exceed their recoverable amounts, the excess is recognized as an impairment charge in the statements of operations in the period this is determined. In our Mining segment's operations, it is necessary to remove overburden and other waste in order to access the ore body. During the pre-production phase, these costs are capitalized as part of the cost of the mine property and depreciated using a units of production method once the mine enters into a full commercial production phase. The costs of removal of the waste material during a mine's production phase are expensed as incurred.
Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Inventories Our Mining segment's inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market. Cost includes all costs incurred in the normal course of business in bringing each product to its present location and condition, including direct materials and direct labor costs, and an allocation of production overheads based on normal production capacity. Cost is calculated using weighted average unit cost.