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, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales			$ 2,349	$ 2,484	$ 2,588	$ 2,300	$ 2,578	$ 2,815	$ 2,819	$ 2,364	$ 9,720	$ 10,576	$ 9,306
Other revenues from operations											666	647	743
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											(1,931)	322	302
Interest and dividend income											265	148	127
Gain on disposition of assets, net											253	84	2,163
Other income (loss), net											19	0	(22)
Total revenues			2,621	2,320	2,196	1,855	2,802	2,569	3,423	2,983	8,992	11,777	12,619
Cost of goods sold											8,212	9,002	8,220
Other expenses from operations											518	529	518
Selling, general and administrative											1,376	1,386	1,269
Restructuring											18	21	4
Impairment											2	92	87
Interest expense											605	524	655
Total Expenses											10,731	11,554	10,753
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(1,739)	223	1,866
Income tax (expense) benefit											(20)	14	532
Income (loss) from continuing operations			$ (149)	$ (373)	$ (573)	$ (664)	$ (206)	$ (334)	$ 410	$ 367	(1,759)	237	2,398
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											(693)	475	101
Continuing operations											(1,066)	(238)	2,297
Capital expenditures											250	272	316
Depreciation and amortization											519	508	518
Investment Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales											0	0	0
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											(1,599)	635	241
Interest and dividend income											190	104	106
Gain on disposition of assets, net											0	0	0
Other income (loss), net											(5)	(2)	(50)
Total revenues											(1,414)	737	297
Cost of goods sold											0	0	0
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											23	12	13
Restructuring											0	0	0
Impairment											0	0	0
Interest expense											106	46	166
Total Expenses											129	58	179
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(1,543)	679	118
Income tax (expense) benefit											0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(1,543)	679	118
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											(768)	360	38
Continuing operations											(775)	319	80
Capital expenditures											0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization											0	0	0
Energy Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales											6,364	7,124	5,988
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											4	2	1
Gain on disposition of assets, net											4	(6)	(3)
Other income (loss), net											13	15	2
Total revenues											6,385	7,135	5,988
Cost of goods sold											5,707	6,508	5,761
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											146	138	143
Restructuring											0	5	0
Impairment											0	0	0
Interest expense											106	104	109
Total Expenses											5,959	6,755	6,013
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											426	380	(25)
Income tax (expense) benefit											(112)	(46)	341
Income (loss) from continuing operations											314	334	316
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											68	121	63
Continuing operations											246	213	253
Capital expenditures											121	102	120
Depreciation and amortization											352	339	322
Automotive Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales											2,293	2,295	2,225
Other revenues from operations											591	563	498
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											0	0	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net											(4)	(1)	5
Other income (loss), net											15	(1)	0
Total revenues											2,895	2,856	2,728
Cost of goods sold											1,625	1,502	1,540
Other expenses from operations											464	474	438
Selling, general and administrative											1,032	1,051	919
Restructuring											6	5	0
Impairment											0	90	15
Interest expense											20	16	13
Total Expenses											3,147	3,138	2,925
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(252)	(282)	(197)
Income tax (expense) benefit											55	52	146
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(197)	(230)	(51)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	0	0
Continuing operations											(197)	(230)	(51)
Capital expenditures											47	66	86
Depreciation and amortization											98	92	111
Food Packaging Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales											383	395	392
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											0	1	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net											0	0	0
Other income (loss), net											(8)	(17)	(3)
Total revenues											375	379	389
Cost of goods sold											309	316	297
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											56	57	61
Restructuring											8	9	2
Impairment											1	0	1
Interest expense											17	16	13
Total Expenses											391	398	374
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(16)	(19)	15
Income tax (expense) benefit											(6)	4	(21)
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(22)	(15)	(6)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											(5)	(3)	(1)
Continuing operations											(17)	(12)	(5)
Capital expenditures											17	25	26
Depreciation and amortization											26	26	25
Metals Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales											340	466	409
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											0	0	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net											1	0	0
Other income (loss), net											0	1	(1)
Total revenues											341	467	408
Cost of goods sold											343	441	389
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											15	19	19
Restructuring											3	0	1
Impairment											1	1	0
Interest expense											1	0	0
Total Expenses											363	461	409
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(22)	6	(1)
Income tax (expense) benefit											0	(1)	(43)
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(22)	5	(44)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	0	0
Continuing operations											(22)	5	(44)
Capital expenditures											24	21	30
Depreciation and amortization											19	18	20
Real Estate Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales											23	22	15
Other revenues from operations											75	84	72
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											1	16	7
Gain on disposition of assets, net	$ 89	$ 456									0	89	496
Other income (loss), net											4	1	38
Total revenues											103	212	628
Cost of goods sold											18	18	11
Other expenses from operations											54	54	46
Selling, general and administrative											21	22	18
Restructuring											0	0	0
Impairment											0	0	2
Interest expense											0	1	2
Total Expenses											93	95	79
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											10	117	549
Income tax (expense) benefit											6	(5)	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations											16	112	549
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	0	0
Continuing operations											16	112	549
Capital expenditures											22	13	9
Depreciation and amortization											17	19	20
Home Fashion Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales											187	171	183
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											0	0	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net											0	0	0
Other income (loss), net											(1)	0	0
Total revenues											186	171	183
Cost of goods sold											159	144	162
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											42	34	39
Restructuring											1	2	1
Impairment											0	1	1
Interest expense											1	1	0
Total Expenses											203	182	203
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(17)	(11)	(20)
Income tax (expense) benefit											0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(17)	(11)	(20)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	0	0
Continuing operations											(17)	(11)	(20)
Capital expenditures											5	5	5
Depreciation and amortization											7	8	8
Mining Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales											130	103	94
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											1	1	1
Gain on disposition of assets, net											252	(3)	0
Other income (loss), net											(1)	5	(2)
Total revenues											382	106	93
Cost of goods sold											51	73	60
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											15	27	14
Restructuring											0	0	0
Impairment											0	0	0
Interest expense											4	3	6
Total Expenses											70	103	80
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											312	3	13
Income tax (expense) benefit											(1)	(2)	(3)
Income (loss) from continuing operations											311	1	10
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											12	(2)	1
Continuing operations											299	3	9
Capital expenditures											14	40	38
Depreciation and amortization											0	6	5
Railcar Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales											0	0	0
Other revenues from operations											0	0	173
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											0	0	0
Interest and dividend income											0	0	0
Gain on disposition of assets, net											0	5	1,664
Other income (loss), net											0	0	0
Total revenues											0	5	1,837
Cost of goods sold											0	0	0
Other expenses from operations											0	1	34
Selling, general and administrative											0	1	10
Restructuring											0	0	0
Impairment											0	0	68
Interest expense											0	0	23
Total Expenses											0	2	135
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											0	3	1,702
Income tax (expense) benefit											0	(2)	(531)
Income (loss) from continuing operations											0	1	1,171
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	0	0
Continuing operations											0	1	1,171
Capital expenditures											0	0	2
Depreciation and amortization											0	0	7
Holding Company
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales											0	0	0
Other revenues from operations											0	0	0
Net (loss) gain from investment activities											(332)	(313)	61
Interest and dividend income											69	24	12
Gain on disposition of assets, net											0	0	1
Other income (loss), net											2	(2)	(6)
Total revenues											(261)	(291)	68
Cost of goods sold											0	0	0
Other expenses from operations											0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative											26	25	33
Restructuring											0	0	0
Impairment											0	0	0
Interest expense											350	337	323
Total Expenses											376	362	356
Income (loss) before income tax benefit											(637)	(653)	(288)
Income tax (expense) benefit											38	14	643
Income (loss) from continuing operations											(599)	(639)	355
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest											0	(1)	0
Continuing operations											(599)	(638)	355
Capital expenditures											0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization											$ 0	$ 0	$ 0