Segment Reporting - Condensed Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 10,304	$ 6,815	$ 9,722
Other revenues from operations	637	608	666
Net gain (loss) from investment activities	193	(1,421)	(1,931)
Interest and dividend income	137	169	265
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	141	(17)	253
Other (loss) income, net	(84)	(31)	19
Total revenues	11,328	6,123	8,994
Cost of goods sold	9,481	6,320	8,205
Other expenses from operations	513	487	528
Selling, general and administrative	1,241	1,191	1,375
Restructuring, net	5	10	18
Impairment	0	11	2
Interest expense	666	688	605
Total Expenses	11,906	8,707	10,733
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(578)	(2,584)	(1,739)
Income tax benefit (expense)	78	116	(20)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(500)	(2,468)	(1,759)
Less: net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	18	(815)	(693)
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(518)	(1,653)	(1,066)
Capital expenditures	305	199	250
Depreciation and amortization	517	510	519
Investment Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	0
Other revenues from operations	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities	145	(1,368)	(1,599)
Interest and dividend income	132	136	190
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	0
Other (loss) income, net	(75)	(17)	(5)
Total revenues	202	(1,249)	(1,414)
Cost of goods sold	0
Other expenses from operations	0
Selling, general and administrative	16	2	23
Restructuring, net	0
Impairment	0
Interest expense	218	196	106
Total Expenses	234	198	129
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(32)	(1,447)	(1,543)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(32)	(1,447)	(1,543)
Less: net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	(16)	(682)	(768)
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(16)	(765)	(775)
Capital expenditures	0
Depreciation and amortization	0
Energy Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	7,242	3,930	6,364
Other revenues from operations	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities	81	34
Interest and dividend income	0	10	4
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	(3)	(7)	4
Other (loss) income, net	7	(1)	13
Total revenues	7,327	3,966	6,385
Cost of goods sold	7,069	4,164	5,707
Other expenses from operations	0
Selling, general and administrative	147	116	146
Restructuring, net	0
Impairment	0
Interest expense	109	125	106
Total Expenses	7,325	4,405	5,959
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	2	(439)	426
Income tax benefit (expense)	27	112	(112)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	29	(327)	314
Less: net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	34	(133)	68
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(5)	(194)	246
Capital expenditures	224	124	121
Depreciation and amortization	343	343	352
Automotive Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	1,789	1,929	2,293
Other revenues from operations	595	549	591
Net gain (loss) from investment activities	0
Interest and dividend income	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	(22)	(6)	(4)
Other (loss) income, net	(2)	(7)	15
Total revenues	2,360	2,465	2,895
Cost of goods sold	1,335	1,344	1,615
Other expenses from operations	466	449	474
Selling, general and administrative	880	904	1,032
Restructuring, net	4	8	6
Impairment	0
Interest expense	7	12	20
Total Expenses	2,692	2,717	3,147
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(332)	(252)	(252)
Income tax benefit (expense)	72	54	55
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(260)	(198)	(197)
Less: net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	0
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(260)	(198)	(197)
Capital expenditures	48	35	47
Depreciation and amortization	87	95	98
Food Packaging Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	416	409	385
Other revenues from operations	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities	0
Interest and dividend income	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	0
Other (loss) income, net	(14)	(6)	(8)
Total revenues	402	403	377
Cost of goods sold	343	327	312
Other expenses from operations	0
Selling, general and administrative	50	52	55
Restructuring, net	1	1	8
Impairment	0		1
Interest expense	6	11	17
Total Expenses	400	391	393
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	2	12	(16)
Income tax benefit (expense)	(4)	(8)	(6)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(2)	4	(22)
Less: net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	0		(5)
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(2)	4	(17)
Capital expenditures	17	19	17
Depreciation and amortization	28	27	26
Metals Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	524	313	340
Other revenues from operations	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities	0
Interest and dividend income	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	163	1	1
Other (loss) income, net	(3)	3
Total revenues	684	317	341
Cost of goods sold	481	298	343
Other expenses from operations	0
Selling, general and administrative	16	16	15
Restructuring, net	0	1	3
Impairment	0	1	1
Interest expense	1	1	1
Total Expenses	498	317	363
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	186		(22)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	186		(22)
Less: net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	0
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	186		(22)
Capital expenditures	3	3	24
Depreciation and amortization	14	18	19
Real Estate Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	55	43	23
Other revenues from operations	38	59	75
Interest and dividend income		1	1
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	3	(5)
Other (loss) income, net			4
Total revenues	96	98	103
Cost of goods sold	44	35	18
Other expenses from operations	47	38	54
Selling, general and administrative	13	34	21
Impairment		7
Total Expenses	104	114	93
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(8)	(16)	10
Income tax benefit (expense)			6
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(8)	(16)	16
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(8)	(16)	16
Capital expenditures	10	11	22
Depreciation and amortization	9	17	17
Home Fashion Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	197	188	187
Other revenues from operations	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities	0
Interest and dividend income	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	0
Other (loss) income, net	0	2	(1)
Total revenues	197	190	186
Cost of goods sold	159	150	159
Other expenses from operations	0
Selling, general and administrative	46	43	42
Restructuring, net	0		1
Impairment	0	3
Interest expense	2	1	1
Total Expenses	207	197	203
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(10)	(7)	(17)
Income tax benefit (expense)	2
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(8)	(7)	(17)
Less: net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	0
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(8)	(7)	(17)
Capital expenditures	3	5	5
Depreciation and amortization	7	8	7
Pharma Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	81	3
Other revenues from operations	4
Net gain (loss) from investment activities	0
Interest and dividend income	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	0
Other (loss) income, net	0
Total revenues	85	3
Cost of goods sold	50	2
Other expenses from operations	0
Selling, general and administrative	38	2
Restructuring, net	0
Impairment	0
Interest expense	0
Total Expenses	88	4
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(3)	(1)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(3)	(1)
Less: net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	0
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(3)	(1)
Capital expenditures	0
Depreciation and amortization	28	2
Mining Segment
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	0		130
Other revenues from operations	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities	0
Interest and dividend income	0		1
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	0		252
Other (loss) income, net	0		(1)
Total revenues	0		382
Cost of goods sold	0		51
Other expenses from operations	0
Selling, general and administrative	0		15
Restructuring, net	0
Impairment	0
Interest expense	0		4
Total Expenses	0		70
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	0		312
Income tax benefit (expense)	0		(1)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	0		311
Less: net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	0		12
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	0		299
Capital expenditures	0		14
Depreciation and amortization	0
Holding Company
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]
Net sales	0
Other revenues from operations	0
Net gain (loss) from investment activities	(33)	(87)	(332)
Interest and dividend income	5	22	69
Gain (loss) on disposition of assets, net	0
Other (loss) income, net	3	(5)	2
Total revenues	(25)	(70)	(261)
Cost of goods sold	0
Other expenses from operations	0
Selling, general and administrative	35	22	26
Restructuring, net	0
Impairment	0
Interest expense	323	342	350
Total Expenses	358	364	376
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax benefit (expense)	(383)	(434)	(637)
Income tax benefit (expense)	(19)	(42)	38
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(402)	(476)	(599)
Less: net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to non-controlling interests	0
Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Icahn Enterprises	(402)	(476)	$ (599)
Capital expenditures	0	$ 2
Depreciation and amortization	$ 1