v3.25.4
Business segment data - Earnings data (Detail) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Dec. 31, 2024
Dec. 31, 2023
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues $ 371,444 $ 371,433 $ 364,482
Costs and Expenses:      
Interest expense 5,069 5,200 5,003
Total costs and expenses 318,473 315,697 321,144
Earnings before income taxes 82,459 110,376 120,166
BNSF [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 23,441 23,490 23,791
BHE [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 26,282 26,300 25,960
Manufacturing [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 78,390 77,148 75,283
Service and Retailing [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 42,560 39,783 39,879
Pilot [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues [1] 42,166 46,856 51,664
McLane [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 50,215 51,086 51,814
Operating Businesses [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 368,372 370,892 364,653
Costs and Expenses:      
Interest expense 5,323 4,982 4,630
Earnings before income taxes 51,714 53,936 43,637
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 104,212 105,069 95,022
Costs and Expenses:      
Losses and LAE 57,307 56,186 57,187
Life, annuity and health benefits 4,379 3,858 4,029
Other segment items 17,805 16,872 15,312
Total costs and expenses 79,491 76,916 76,528
Earnings before income taxes 24,721 28,153 18,494
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 88,902 88,257 83,403
Costs and Expenses:      
Losses and LAE 57,307 56,186 57,187
Life, annuity and health benefits 4,379 3,858 4,029
Other segment items 17,756 16,808 15,274
Total costs and expenses 79,442 76,852 76,490
Earnings before income taxes 9,460 11,405 6,913
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | GEICO [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 44,481 42,252 39,264
Costs and Expenses:      
Losses and LAE 32,144 30,331 31,814
Other segment items 5,513 4,108 3,815
Total costs and expenses 37,657 34,439 35,629
Earnings before income taxes 6,824 7,813 3,635
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | BH Primary [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 18,713 18,733 17,129
Costs and Expenses:      
Losses and LAE 12,519 12,666 11,224
Other segment items 5,409 5,212 4,531
Total costs and expenses 17,928 17,878 15,755
Earnings before income taxes 785 855 1,374
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Underwriting [Member] | BHRG [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 25,708 27,272 27,010
Costs and Expenses:      
Losses and LAE 12,644 13,189 14,149
Life, annuity and health benefits 4,379 3,858 4,029
Other segment items 6,834 7,488 6,928
Total costs and expenses 23,857 24,535 25,106
Earnings before income taxes 1,851 2,737 1,904
Operating Businesses [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] | Investment Income [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 15,310 16,812 11,619
Costs and Expenses:      
Other segment items 49 64 38
Total costs and expenses 49 64 38
Earnings before income taxes 15,261 16,748 11,581
Operating Businesses [Member] | BNSF [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 23,533 23,572 23,876
Costs and Expenses:      
Compensation and benefits 5,531 5,872 5,551
Fuel 3,011 3,267 3,684
Depreciation and amortization 2,722 2,621 2,627
Interest expense 1,098 1,078 1,048
Other segment items 3,996 4,086 4,352
Total costs and expenses 16,358 16,924 17,262
Earnings before income taxes 7,175 6,648 6,614
Operating Businesses [Member] | BHE [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 26,297 26,348 26,008
Costs and Expenses:      
Energy Cost of Sales 6,346 6,616 7,057
Energy Operations and Maintenance 5,445 5,470 6,456
Energy Depreciation and Amortization 4,180 3,957 3,960
Real Estate Operating Costs and Expenses 4,302 4,509 4,316
Interest expense 2,642 2,528 2,283
Other segment items 1,040 976 996
Total costs and expenses 23,955 24,056 25,068
Earnings before income taxes 2,342 2,292 940
Operating Businesses [Member] | Manufacturing [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 78,487 77,231 75,405
Costs and Expenses:      
Cost of sales and services 50,937 50,702 50,389
Cost of leasing 1,174 1,142 1,051
Interest expense 1,211 934 784
Other segment items 12,594 12,558 11,736
Total costs and expenses 65,916 65,336 63,960
Earnings before income taxes 12,571 11,895 11,445
Operating Businesses [Member] | Service and Retailing [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 42,647 39,874 39,996
Costs and Expenses:      
Cost of sales and services 25,579 23,818 23,915
Cost of leasing 6,453 5,917 5,011
Interest expense 113 118 101
Other segment items 6,463 6,321 6,248
Total costs and expenses 38,608 36,174 35,275
Earnings before income taxes 4,039 3,700 4,721
Operating Businesses [Member] | Pilot [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 42,198 46,891 51,739
Costs and Expenses:      
Cost of sales and services 38,003 42,591 47,505
Depreciation and amortization 1,095 1,012 796
Interest expense 227 302 414
Other segment items 2,910 2,674 2,470
Total costs and expenses 42,008 46,277 50,771
Earnings before income taxes 190 614 968
Operating Businesses [Member] | McLane [Member]      
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]      
Revenues 50,998 51,907 52,607
Costs and Expenses:      
Cost of sales and services 46,572 47,604 48,495
Depreciation and amortization 214 217 208
Interest expense 32 22  
Other segment items 3,536 3,452 3,449
Total costs and expenses 50,322 51,273 52,152
Earnings before income taxes $ 676 $ 634 $ 455
[1] Revenues from Pilot are principally fuel sales. Revenues in 2023 are for the eleven months ending December 31.