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Notes payable and other borrowings (Detail) € in Millions, £ in Millions, $ in Millions, ¥ in Billions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2025 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2025 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2025 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2025 JPY (¥)	Dec. 31, 2024 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal payments on debt - 2026	$ 9,782
Principal payments on debt - 2027	6,631
Principal payments on debt - 2028	5,193
Principal payments on debt - 2029	6,336
Principal payments on debt - 2030	5,793
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	22,662				$ 21,091
Principal payments on debt - 2026	4,200
Principal payments on debt - 2027	4,100
Principal payments on debt - 2028	3,400
Principal payments on debt - 2029	2,600
Principal payments on debt - 2030	850
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings		€ 4,850	£ 1,750	¥ 2,343
Insurance and Other [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	45,763				44,885
Principal payments on debt - 2026	5,759
Principal payments on debt - 2027	4,972
Principal payments on debt - 2028	3,424
Principal payments on debt - 2029	2,603
Principal payments on debt - 2030	3,222
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 3,547				3,749
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	3.50%	3.50%	3.50%	3.50%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2026
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2047
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 4,201				4,733
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	1.40%	1.40%	1.40%	1.40%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2027
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2041
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Japanese Yen Denominated [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 14,914				12,609
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	1.20%	1.20%	1.20%	1.20%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Japanese Yen Denominated [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2026
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Parent) [Member] \| Japanese Yen Denominated [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2060
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 3,518				4,564
Short-term debt	$ 1,321				1,315
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	5.10%	5.10%	5.10%	5.10%
Short-term borrowings, weighted average interest rate	5.60%	5.60%	5.60%	5.60%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2026
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2051
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 14,475				14,469
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	3.60%	3.60%	3.60%	3.60%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2027
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| U.S. Dollar Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2052
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 1,464				1,290
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	1.80%	1.80%	1.80%	1.80%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2030
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Euro Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2034
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Great Britain Pound Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 2,323				2,156
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	2.50%	2.50%	2.50%	2.50%
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Great Britain Pound Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2039
Insurance and Other [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Great Britain Pound Denominated [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2059
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 83,318				79,877
Principal payments on debt - 2026	4,023
Principal payments on debt - 2027	1,659
Principal payments on debt - 2028	1,769
Principal payments on debt - 2029	3,733
Principal payments on debt - 2030	$ 2,571
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	4.40%	4.40%	4.40%	4.40%
Senior unsecured debt	$ 11,461				13,107
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2028
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2053
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 45,798				42,150
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	4.80%	4.80%	4.80%	4.80%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2026
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy Subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2064
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term debt	$ 1,997				1,123
Short-term borrowings, weighted average interest rate	4.90%	4.90%	4.90%	4.90%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable and other borrowings	$ 24,062				$ 23,497
Weighted average interest rate, percentage	4.80%	4.80%	4.80%	4.80%
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2026
Railroad, Utilities and Energy [Member] \| Subsidiaries [Member] \| Burlington Northern Santa Fe ("BNSF") and subsidiaries [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt maturity year	2097