Segment Reporting, Income Statements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2018	Aug. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Revenues:
Net sales			$ 2,578	$ 2,815	$ 2,820	$ 2,363	$ 2,385	$ 2,334	$ 2,277	$ 2,310	$ 10,576	$ 9,306	$ 7,740
Other revenues from operations											647	743	840
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											322	302	(1,373)
Interest and dividend income											148	127	124
Gain on disposition of assets, net											84	2,163	6
Other (loss) income, net											0	(22)	42
Total revenues			2,802	2,569	3,423	2,983	2,482	3,406	4,353	2,378	11,777	12,619	7,379
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											8,947	8,258	6,837
Other expenses from operations											529	518	631
Selling, general and administrative											1,386	1,269	1,001
Restructuring											21	4	5
Impairment											92	87	586
Interest expense											524	655	692
Total Expenses											11,499	10,791	9,752
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											278	1,828	(2,373)
Income tax benefit											4	529	88
Income (loss) from continuing operations			$ (194)	$ (323)	$ 421	$ 378	$ 138	$ 790	$ 1,637	$ (208)	282	2,357	(2,285)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											495	84	(1,158)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											(213)	2,273	(1,127)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											272	316	247
Depreciation and amortization											447	474	526
Investment Segment
Revenues:
Net sales											0	0	0
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											635	241	(1,388)
Interest and dividend income											104	106	112
Gain on disposition of assets, net											0	0	0
Other (loss) income, net											(2)	(50)	53
Total revenues											737	297	(1,223)
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											0	0	0
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											12	13	34
Restructuring											0	0	0
Impairment											0	0	0
Interest expense											46	166	230
Total Expenses											58	179	264
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											679	118	(1,487)
Income tax benefit											0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations											679	118	(1,487)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											360	38	(883)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											319	80	(604)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization											0	0	0
Energy Segment
Revenues:
Net sales											7,124	5,988	4,782
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											0	0	5
Interest and dividend income											2	1	1
Gain on disposition of assets, net											(6)	(3)	0
Other (loss) income, net											15	2	(5)
Total revenues											7,135	5,988	4,783
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											6,453	5,799	4,637
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											138	143	138
Restructuring											5	0	0
Impairment											0	0	574
Interest expense											104	109	83
Total Expenses											6,700	6,051	5,432
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											435	(63)	(649)
Income tax benefit											(56)	338	45
Income (loss) from continuing operations											379	275	(604)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											141	46	(277)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											238	229	(327)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											102	120	133
Depreciation and amortization											278	278	258
Disaggregated revenue											7,124	5,988	4,782
Automotive Segment
Revenues:
Net sales											2,295	2,225	2,079
Other revenues from operations											563	498	422
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											0	0	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net											(1)	5	1
Other (loss) income, net											(1)	0	1
Total revenues											2,856	2,728	2,503
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											1,502	1,540	1,430
Other expenses from operations											474	438	430
Selling, general and administrative											1,051	919	648
Restructuring											5	0	0
Impairment											90	15	1
Interest expense											16	13	7
Total Expenses											3,138	2,925	2,516
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(282)	(197)	(13)
Income tax benefit											52	146	32
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(230)	(51)	19
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											(230)	(51)	19
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											66	86	37
Depreciation and amortization											92	111	98
Disaggregated revenue											2,858	2,723	2,501
Food Packaging Segment
Revenues:
Net sales											395	392	329
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											1	0	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net											0	0	0
Other (loss) income, net											(17)	(3)	(1)
Total revenues											379	389	328
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											316	297	249
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											57	61	48
Restructuring											9	2	3
Impairment											0	1	0
Interest expense											16	13	12
Total Expenses											398	374	312
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(19)	15	16
Income tax benefit											4	(21)	(8)
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(15)	(6)	8
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											(3)	(1)	2
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											(12)	(5)	6
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											25	26	18
Depreciation and amortization											26	25	20
Metals Segment
Revenues:
Net sales											466	409	267
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											0	0	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net											0	0	1
Other (loss) income, net											1	(1)	1
Total revenues											467	408	269
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											441	389	284
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											19	19	18
Restructuring											0	1	2
Impairment											1	0	1
Interest expense											0	0	0
Total Expenses											461	409	305
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											6	(1)	(36)
Income tax benefit											(1)	(43)	16
Income (loss) from continuing operations											5	(44)	(20)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											5	(44)	(20)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											21	30	5
Depreciation and amortization											18	20	22
Real Estate Segment
Revenues:
Net sales											22	15	17
Other revenues from operations											84	72	71
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											16	7	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net	$ 89	$ 456									89	496	1
Other (loss) income, net											1	38	0
Total revenues											212	628	89
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											18	11	13
Other expenses from operations											54	46	46
Selling, general and administrative											22	18	18
Restructuring											0	0	0
Impairment											0	2	5
Interest expense											1	2	2
Total Expenses											95	79	84
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											117	549	5
Income tax benefit											(5)	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations											112	549	5
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											112	549	5
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											13	9	1
Depreciation and amortization											19	20	22
Home Fashion Segment
Revenues:
Net sales											171	183	195
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											0	0	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net											0	0	0
Other (loss) income, net											0	0	1
Total revenues											171	183	196
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											144	162	168
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											34	39	38
Restructuring											2	1	0
Impairment											1	1	2
Interest expense											1	0	0
Total Expenses											182	203	208
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(11)	(20)	(12)
Income tax benefit											0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(11)	(20)	(12)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											(11)	(20)	(12)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											5	5	11
Depreciation and amortization											8	8	8
Mining Segment
Revenues:
Net sales											103	94	71
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											1	1	2
Gain on disposition of assets, net											(3)	0	0
Other (loss) income, net											5	(2)	(10)
Total revenues											106	93	63
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											73	60	56
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											27	14	22
Restructuring											0	0	0
Impairment											0	0	0
Interest expense											3	6	7
Total Expenses											103	80	85
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											3	13	(22)
Income tax benefit											(2)	(3)	(2)
Income (loss) from continuing operations											1	10	(24)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											(2)	1	(5)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											3	9	(19)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											40	38	22
Depreciation and amortization											6	5	6
Railcar Segment
Revenues:
Net sales											0	0	0
Other revenues from operations											0	173	347
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											0	0	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net											5	1,664	3
Other (loss) income, net											0	0	0
Total revenues											5	1,837	350
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											0	0	0
Other expenses from operations											1	34	155
Selling, general and administrative											1	10	16
Restructuring											0	0	0
Impairment											0	68	0
Interest expense											0	23	62
Total Expenses											2	135	233
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											3	1,702	117
Income tax benefit											(2)	(531)	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations											1	1,171	117
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	0	5
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											1	1,171	112
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											0	2	20
Depreciation and amortization											0	7	92
Holding Company
Revenues:
Net sales											0	0	0
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities											(313)	61	10
Interest and dividend income											24	12	9
Gain on disposition of assets, net											0	1	0
Other (loss) income, net											(2)	(6)	2
Total revenues											(291)	68	21
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											0	0	0
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											25	33	21
Restructuring											0	0	0
Impairment											0	0	3
Interest expense											337	323	289
Total Expenses											362	356	313
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(653)	(288)	(292)
Income tax benefit											14	643	5
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(639)	355	(287)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											(1)	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent											(638)	355	(287)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures											0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization											0	0	0
Petroleum products | Energy Segment
Supplemental information:
Disaggregated revenue											6,773	5,657	4,426
Nitrogen fertilizer products | Energy Segment
Supplemental information:
Disaggregated revenue											351	331	356
Automotive services | Automotive Segment
Supplemental information:
Disaggregated revenue											1,321	1,186	998
Aftermarket parts sales | Automotive Segment
Supplemental information:
Disaggregated revenue											1,537	$ 1,537	$ 1,503
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 | Automotive Segment
Revenues:
Net sales											62
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold											$ 62