SEGMENT REPORTING - Rev & Exp Components (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Segment revenues
Total revenues	$ 369,535	$ 241,164	$ 505,550	$ 511,069
Segment expenses
Total expenses	303,935	212,569	433,473	447,032
Segment other income
Total other income (expense)	17,406	28,956	1,955	39,964
Total Segments
Segment revenues
Management fees (includes ARCC Part 1 Fees of $28,999, $57,624 and $29,250, $58,292 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	162,612	160,487	325,280	322,803
Other fees	1,319	866	2,026	1,831
Performance fees-realized	81,604	59,061	87,953	94,700
Performance fees-unrealized	123,314	19,574	85,966	88,024
Segment expenses
Compensation and benefits	68,835	64,254	135,630	129,271
General, administrative and other expenses	11,933	13,734	23,190	26,521
Performance fee compensation expense-realized	51,031	37,719	53,014	59,063
Performance fee compensation expense-unrealized	100,865	18,825	77,552	73,873
Segment other income
Investment income (loss)-realized	3,821	9,263	3,739	22,185
Investment income (loss)-unrealized	6,385	(3,495)	(2,568)	(8,110)
Interest expense	(4,119)	(3,654)	(8,246)	(7,338)
Total other income (expense)	22,427	7,395	17,645	15,006
OMG
Segment expenses
Compensation and benefits	28,218	21,811	57,208	45,445
General, administrative and other expenses	15,380	15,067	32,665	29,288
Total expenses	43,598	36,878	89,873	74,733
Segment other income
Investment income (loss)-realized	(31)		(88)
Investment income (loss)-unrealized	(11,904)		(11,519)
Interest expense	(709)		(1,437)
Total other income (expense)	(12,663)		(13,112)
Stand Alone
Segment revenues
Management fees (includes ARCC Part 1 Fees of $28,999, $57,624 and $29,250, $58,292 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	162,612	160,487	325,280	322,803
Other fees	1,319	866	2,026	1,831
Performance fees-realized	81,604	59,061	87,953	94,700
Performance fees-unrealized	123,314	19,574	85,966	88,024
Segment expenses
Compensation and benefits	97,053	86,065	192,838	174,716
General, administrative and other expenses	27,313	28,801	55,855	55,809
Performance fee compensation expense-realized	51,031	37,719	53,014	59,063
Performance fee compensation expense-unrealized	100,865	18,825	77,552	73,873
Segment other income
Investment income (loss)-realized	3,790	9,263	3,651	22,185
Investment income (loss)-unrealized	(5,519)	(3,495)	(14,087)	(8,110)
Interest expense	(4,828)	(3,654)	(9,683)	(7,338)
Total other income (expense)	9,764	7,395	4,533	15,006
Ares Management L.P.
Segment revenues
Management fees (includes ARCC Part 1 Fees of $28,999, $57,624 and $29,250, $58,292 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	158,521	156,589	316,954	315,290
Segment expenses
Compensation and benefits	112,654	99,085	223,333	200,936
Ares Management L.P. | Total Segments
Segment revenues
Management fees (includes ARCC Part 1 Fees of $28,999, $57,624 and $29,250, $58,292 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	162,612	160,487	325,280	322,803
Other fees	1,319	866	2,026	1,831
Performance fees-realized	81,604	59,061	87,953	94,700
Performance fees-unrealized	123,314	19,574	85,966	88,024
Total revenues	368,849	239,988	501,225	507,358
Segment expenses
Compensation and benefits	68,835	64,254	135,630	129,271
General, administrative and other expenses	11,933	13,734	23,190	26,521
Performance fee compensation expense-realized	51,031	37,719	53,014	59,063
Performance fee compensation expense-unrealized	100,865	18,825	77,552	73,873
Total expenses	232,664	134,532	289,386	288,728
Segment other income
Investment income (loss)-realized	3,821	9,263	3,739	22,185
Investment income (loss)-unrealized	6,385	(3,495)	(2,568)	(8,110)
Interest, dividends and other investment income	16,340	5,281	24,720	8,269
Interest expense	(4,119)	(3,654)	(8,246)	(7,338)
Total other income (expense)	22,427	7,395	17,645	15,006
Credit Group
Segment revenues
Management fees (includes ARCC Part 1 Fees of $28,999, $57,624 and $29,250, $58,292 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	110,770	108,180	220,211	216,528
Other fees	550	99	659	197
Performance fees-realized	16,024	40,081	22,202	75,295
Performance fees-unrealized	16,603	(26,175)	(12,724)	(45,376)
Segment expenses
Compensation and benefits	45,479	43,036	89,393	85,601
General, administrative and other expenses	6,609	6,825	11,660	13,950
Performance fee compensation expense-realized	754	22,617	2,737	43,621
Performance fee compensation expense-unrealized	14,755	(16,151)	(1,850)	(30,682)
Segment other income
Investment income (loss)-realized	123	5,903	285	14,521
Investment income (loss)-unrealized	7,032	(6,533)	3,025	(9,902)
Interest expense	(2,450)	(1,736)	(4,898)	(3,470)
Total other income (expense)	12,803	1,567	14,089	3,556
Private Equity Group
Segment revenues
Management fees (includes ARCC Part 1 Fees of $28,999, $57,624 and $29,250, $58,292 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	35,612	36,373	72,094	72,962
Other fees	334	36	674	49
Performance fees-realized	62,779	18,878	62,779	19,303
Performance fees-unrealized	105,450	41,863	93,307	129,194
Segment expenses
Compensation and benefits	13,191	11,226	25,358	23,547
General, administrative and other expenses	2,925	3,200	5,829	6,318
Performance fee compensation expense-realized	50,224	15,102	50,224	15,442
Performance fee compensation expense-unrealized	84,337	33,795	75,396	103,776
Segment other income
Investment income (loss)-realized	3,003	3,105	2,891	7,277
Investment income (loss)-unrealized	420	2,085	(7,325)	643
Interest expense	(1,397)	(1,658)	(2,802)	(3,338)
Total other income (expense)	10,232	4,862	879	10,397
Real Estate Group
Segment revenues
Management fees (includes ARCC Part 1 Fees of $28,999, $57,624 and $29,250, $58,292 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	16,230	15,934	32,975	33,313
Other fees	435	731	693	1,585
Performance fees-realized	2,801	102	2,972	102
Performance fees-unrealized	1,261	3,886	5,383	4,206
Segment expenses
Compensation and benefits	10,165	9,992	20,879	20,123
General, administrative and other expenses	2,399	3,709	5,701	6,253
Performance fee compensation expense-realized	53		53
Performance fee compensation expense-unrealized	1,773	1,181	4,006	779
Segment other income
Investment income (loss)-realized	695	255	563	387
Investment income (loss)-unrealized	(1,067)	953	1,732	1,149
Interest expense	(272)	(260)	(546)	(530)
Total other income (expense)	$ (608)	$ 966	$ 2,677	$ 1,053