Condensed Statement of Operations By Reporting Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Revenues:
Net sales	$ 2,588	$ 2,819	$ 4,888	$ 5,183
Other revenues from operations	172	167	334	325
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	(637)	410	(1,311)	842
Interest and dividend income	58	36	122	62
Other income (loss), net	15	(9)	18	(6)
Total Revenues	2,196	3,423	4,051	6,406
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	2,129	2,427	4,029	4,414
Other expenses from operations	137	134	268	259
Selling, general and administrative	339	345	675	683
Restructuring, net	4	1	11	3
Impairment	1	3	1	3
Interest expense	151	119	290	266
Total Expenses	2,761	3,029	5,274	5,628
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(565)	394	(1,223)	778
Income tax (expense) benefit	(8)	16	(14)	(1)
(Loss) income from continuing operations	(573)	410	(1,237)	777
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	(99)	262	(369)	531
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations	(474)	148	(868)	246
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	67	64	132	126
Depreciation and amortization	137	130	260	258
Investment Segment
Revenues:
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Other revenues from operations	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	(311)	372	(920)	782
Interest and dividend income	40	28	82	46
Other income (loss), net	0	(1)	(1)	(1)
Total Revenues	(271)	399	(839)	827
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	0	0	0	0
Other expenses from operations	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	3	1	5	2
Restructuring, net	0	0	0	0
Impairment	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	21	1	39	27
Total Expenses	24	2	44	29
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(295)	397	(883)	798
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income from continuing operations	(295)	397	(883)	798
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	(147)	240	(440)	480
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations	(148)	157	(443)	318
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Energy Segment
Revenues:
Net sales	1,687	1,914	3,173	3,451
Other revenues from operations	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	0	0	0	0
Interest and dividend income	1	1	1	1
Other income (loss), net	12	(4)	13	(2)
Total Revenues	1,700	1,911	3,187	3,450
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	1,486	1,778	2,789	3,163
Other expenses from operations	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	34	39	71	71
Restructuring, net	0	0	0	0
Impairment	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	27	27	53	54
Total Expenses	1,547	1,844	2,913	3,288
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	153	67	274	162
Income tax (expense) benefit	(37)	(10)	(68)	(24)
(Loss) income from continuing operations	116	57	206	138
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	40	22	64	53
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations	76	35	142	85
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	26	23	55	43
Depreciation and amortization	94	86	177	169
Automotive Segment
Revenues:
Net sales	590	592	1,140	1,141
Other revenues from operations	154	145	297	282
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	0	0	0	0
Interest and dividend income	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss), net	1	0	5	0
Total Revenues	745	737	1,442	1,423
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	406	383	781	744
Other expenses from operations	124	118	243	231
Selling, general and administrative	256	258	508	516
Restructuring, net	2	0	2	0
Impairment	0	3	0	3
Interest expense	5	5	10	8
Total Expenses	793	767	1,544	1,502
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(48)	(30)	(102)	(79)
Income tax (expense) benefit	10	12	22	27
(Loss) income from continuing operations	(38)	(18)	(80)	(52)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations	(38)	(18)	(80)	(52)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	9	18	22	37
Depreciation and amortization	24	25	48	49
Food Packaging Segment
Revenues:
Net sales	97	104	192	201
Other revenues from operations	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	0	0	0	0
Interest and dividend income	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss), net	1	(7)	(2)	(13)
Total Revenues	98	97	190	188
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	75	80	150	157
Other expenses from operations	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	14	15	29	30
Restructuring, net	0	0	7	0
Impairment	1	0	1	0
Interest expense	5	3	9	7
Total Expenses	95	98	196	194
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	3	(1)	(6)	(6)
Income tax (expense) benefit	(2)	0	2	2
(Loss) income from continuing operations	1	(1)	(4)	(4)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	1	(1)	(1)	(1)
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations	0	0	(3)	(3)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	3	6	10	11
Depreciation and amortization	8	6	14	13
Metals Segment
Revenues:
Net sales	95	132	188	250
Other revenues from operations	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	0	0	0	0
Interest and dividend income	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss), net	1	(1)	1	0
Total Revenues	96	131	189	250
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	93	124	185	234
Other expenses from operations	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	4	4	8	9
Restructuring, net	2	0	2	0
Impairment	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Total Expenses	99	128	195	243
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(3)	3	(6)	7
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income from continuing operations	(3)	3	(6)	7
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations	(3)	3	(6)	7
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	12	1	17	2
Depreciation and amortization	5	4	9	9
Real Estate Segment
Revenues:
Net sales	9	6	11	7
Other revenues from operations	18	22	37	43
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	0	0	0	0
Interest and dividend income	0	5	0	10
Other income (loss), net	0	0	2	0
Total Revenues	27	33	50	60
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	7	4	9	5
Other expenses from operations	13	15	25	27
Selling, general and administrative	7	7	12	13
Restructuring, net	0	0	0	0
Impairment	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	1
Total Expenses	27	26	46	46
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	0	7	4	14
Income tax (expense) benefit	1	0	1	0
(Loss) income from continuing operations	1	7	5	14
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations	1	7	5	14
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	10	4	16	7
Depreciation and amortization	5	5	9	10
Home Fashion Segment
Revenues:
Net sales	44	45	83	87
Other revenues from operations	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	0	0	0	0
Interest and dividend income	0	0	0	0
Other income (loss), net	0	1	0	1
Total Revenues	44	46	83	88
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	39	39	72	75
Other expenses from operations	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	9	9	19	18
Restructuring, net	0	1	0	3
Impairment	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Total Expenses	48	49	91	96
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(4)	(3)	(8)	(8)
Income tax (expense) benefit	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income from continuing operations	(4)	(3)	(8)	(8)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations	(4)	(3)	(8)	(8)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	1	2	2	3
Depreciation and amortization	1	2	3	4
Mining Segment
Revenues:
Net sales	66	26	101	46
Other revenues from operations	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	0	0	0	0
Interest and dividend income	0	0	1	0
Other income (loss), net	0	5	0	5
Total Revenues	66	31	102	51
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	23	19	43	36
Other expenses from operations	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	6	6	13	12
Restructuring, net	0	0	0	0
Impairment	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	1	0	3	2
Total Expenses	30	25	59	50
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	36	6	43	1
Income tax (expense) benefit	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
(Loss) income from continuing operations	35	5	41	(1)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	7	1	8	(1)
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations	28	4	33	0
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	6	10	10	23
Depreciation and amortization	0	2	0	4
Railcar Segment
Revenues:
Net sales		0		0
Other revenues from operations		0		0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities		0		0
Interest and dividend income		0		0
Other income (loss), net		0		5
Total Revenues		0		5
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold		0		0
Other expenses from operations		1		1
Selling, general and administrative		1		1
Restructuring, net		0		0
Impairment		0		0
Interest expense		0		0
Total Expenses		2		2
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)		(2)		3
Income tax (expense) benefit		(2)		(2)
(Loss) income from continuing operations		(4)		1
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests		0		0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations		(4)		1
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures		0		0
Depreciation and amortization		0		0
Holding Company
Revenues:
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Other revenues from operations	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities	(326)	38	(391)	60
Interest and dividend income	17	2	38	5
Other income (loss), net	0	(2)	0	(1)
Total Revenues	(309)	38	(353)	64
Expenses:
Cost of goods sold	0	0	0	0
Other expenses from operations	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	6	5	10	11
Restructuring, net	0	0	0	0
Impairment	0	0	0	0
Interest expense	92	83	176	167
Total Expenses	98	88	186	178
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(407)	(50)	(539)	(114)
Income tax (expense) benefit	21	17	31	(2)
(Loss) income from continuing operations	(386)	(33)	(508)	(116)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests	0	0	0	0
Net (loss) income attributable to Icahn Enterprises from continuing operations	(386)	(33)	(508)	(116)
Supplemental information:
Capital expenditures	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0