Real Estate and Other, Net (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
 0 Months Ended 2 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Jul. 20, 2012
Feb. 02, 2013
Jan. 31, 2015
property
department_store
Nov. 01, 2014
property
Aug. 02, 2014
property
acre
May 03, 2014
property
acre
Feb. 01, 2014
Nov. 02, 2013
joint_venture
acre
Aug. 03, 2013
property
May 04, 2013
Oct. 27, 2012
joint_venture
Jan. 31, 2015
department_store
Feb. 01, 2014
Feb. 02, 2013
Jul. 20, 2012
Dec. 31, 2013
Oct. 23, 2012
Jul. 19, 2012
Nov. 30, 2013
Jan. 31, 2013
department_store
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]                                        
Number of joint ventures sold               3     4                  
Sale or Redemption of Simon Property Group, L.P. (SPG) REIT units $ (200)                     $ 0 $ (24) $ (200)            
Sale of CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (CBL) REIT shares                       0 0 (15)            
Sale of leveraged leases                       0 0 (28)            
Sale of investments in joint ventures               23 62   151 0 85 151            
Sale of non-operating assets                       25 23 3            
Net gain on sale or redemption of non-operating assets     2 2 9 12           25 132 397            
Dividend income from REITs                       0 (1) (6)            
Investment income from home office land joint venture     (10) (43)               (53) 0 0            
Investment income from joint ventures                       1 6 11            
Net gain from sale of operating assets                       (92) (17) 0            
Store impairments (Note 8)                       30 18 26            
Intangible asset impairment (Note 8)             9         0 9 0            
Operating asset impairments   60                   0 0 60            
Other                       (7) (26) 4            
Real estate and other (income)/expense, net                       (148) (155) (324)            
Redemption of Simon Property Group, L.P. (SPG) REIT units                                   2,000,000    
Sale of non-operating assets     (1) (90)   (1)     (1) (16)                    
REIT unit cash price SPG 124.00                           124.00          
REIT unit fair market value SPG                                   158.13    
Proceeds from sale of leveraged lease investments net of fees                     146                  
Leveraged lease investments (Note 17)                     118                  
Proceeds from divestiture of interest in joint venture               32 55   90                  
Real Estate Investments, joint ventures               (7)     (61)                  
Number of properties sold     2 1 4 4     2                      
Proceeds from Sale of Other Real Estate         11 15                            
Payments for (Proceeds from) Investments                       (35) (143) (526)            
Area of Land           220   10                        
Net book value of building sold                     0                  
Proceeds from sale of buildings                     3                  
Book value leasehold interest                   2                    
Sale of leasehold interest in former department store location                   18                    
Number of stores     1,062                 1,062                
Number of closed stores       1                                
Net book value of former department store location sold           1                            
Proceeds from Equity Method Investment, Dividends or Distributions     7 51                                
Proceeds from sale of operating assets     2 66   2           70 19 0            
SPG Reit Unit [Member]                                        
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]                                        
Sale or Redemption of Simon Property Group, L.P. (SPG) REIT units                               (24)        
Redemption of Simon Property Group, L.P. (SPG) REIT units 2,000,000                           2,000,000       205,000  
REIT unit cash price SPG 124.00                           124.00 151.97        
REIT unit fair market value SPG                                   158.13    
Investment owned SPG, shares                     205,000                  
Proceeds from sale of REITs net of fees                             246 31        
CBL Reit Share [Member]                                        
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]                                        
Gain on sale of REIT securities                                 15      
REIT share cash price CBL                                 $ 21.35      
Proceeds from sale of REITs net of fees                                 40      
Leveraged Lease Assets [Member]                                        
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]                                        
Sale of leveraged leases                     (28)                  
Non-operating assets [Member]                                        
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]                                        
Net gain on sale or redemption of non-operating assets             22       3                  
Sale of non-operating assets               0                        
Number of properties sold             10                          
Payments for (Proceeds from) Investments             (25)                          
Department Stores Sold [Member]                                        
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]                                        
Number of stores     1 3               1                
Trade Names [Member]                                        
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]                                        
Intangible asset impairment (Note 8)             $ 9                          
Impaired Stores That Continued in Operation [Member]                                        
Real Estate Properties [Line Items]                                        
Number of stores     19       25         19 25             13