Consolidated Statements of Changes in Partners' Capital - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Receivables from Affiliates [Member]	AB Holding Units Held for Long-tem Incentive Compensation Plans [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Partners' Capital attributable to AB Unitholders [Member]	Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Entities [Member]	General Partner's Capital [Member]	Limited Partners' Capital [Member]
Balance, beginning of year at Dec. 31, 2012		$ (8,441)	$ (389,941)	$ (48,526)		$ 43,502	$ 41,213	$ 4,165,461
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	$ 527,422						5,178	512,498
Cash distributions to General Partner							(4,623)	(456,659)
Long-term incentive compensation plans activity							642	59,924
(Retirement) issuance of AB Units, net			202,772				(2,028)	(202,548)
Other								0
Capital contributions from General Partner	3,386	3,386
Compensation plan accrual		(695)
Reclassification of receivable from AB Holding		(9,226)
Capital contributions to AB Holding		(1,566)
Purchases of AB Holding Units to fund long-term compensation plans, net			(111,619)
Reclassification from liability-based awards			130,777
Long-term incentive compensation awards expense			162,771
Re-valuation of AB Holding Units held in rabbi trust			(34,409)
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments, net of tax				(2,766)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(12,422)			(12,279)		(143)
Changes in employee benefit related items, net of tax				28,190
Net income (loss)	9,746					9,746
Distributions to non-controlling interests of our consolidated venture capital fund activities						(10,865)
Balance, end of year at Dec. 31, 2013	4,069,726	(16,542)	(39,649)	(35,381)	$ 4,027,486	42,240	40,382	4,078,676
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	570,839						5,704	564,679
Cash distributions to General Partner							(5,732)	(566,616)
Long-term incentive compensation plans activity							92	8,929
(Retirement) issuance of AB Units, net			(93,457)				935	90,969
Other								0
Capital contributions from General Partner	2,325	2,325
Compensation plan accrual		(323)
Reclassification of receivable from AB Holding		0
Capital contributions to AB Holding		(1,819)
Purchases of AB Holding Units to fund long-term compensation plans, net			(90,143)
Reclassification from liability-based awards			0
Long-term incentive compensation awards expense			176,916
Re-valuation of AB Holding Units held in rabbi trust			9,982
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments, net of tax				864
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(20,872)			(20,771)		(101)
Changes in employee benefit related items, net of tax				(24,555)
Net income (loss)	456					456
Distributions to non-controlling interests of our consolidated venture capital fund activities						(12,199)
Balance, end of year at Dec. 31, 2014	4,115,861	(16,359)	(36,351)	(79,843)	4,085,465	30,396	41,381	4,176,637
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	592,977						5,866	580,736
Cash distributions to General Partner							(5,986)	(591,886)
Long-term incentive compensation plans activity							14	1,598
(Retirement) issuance of AB Units, net			40,028				(400)	(40,433)
Other								2,100
Capital contributions from General Partner	1,551	1,551
Compensation plan accrual		(187)
Reclassification of receivable from AB Holding		0
Capital contributions to AB Holding		497
Purchases of AB Holding Units to fund long-term compensation plans, net			(216,970)
Reclassification from liability-based awards			0
Long-term incentive compensation awards expense			176,040
Re-valuation of AB Holding Units held in rabbi trust			7,921
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments, net of tax				(912)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(16,938)			(16,805)		(133)
Changes in employee benefit related items, net of tax				2,207
Net income (loss)	6,375					6,375
Distributions to non-controlling interests of our consolidated venture capital fund activities						(12,165)
Balance, end of year at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 4,054,917	$ (14,498)	$ (29,332)	$ (95,353)	$ 4,030,444	$ 24,473	$ 40,875	$ 4,128,752