CONSOLIDATION (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets
Goodwill	$ 143,724	$ 144,067	$ 85,581
Total assets	5,829,712	4,321,408	21,638,992
Liabilities
Total liabilities	4,452,450	3,329,497
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable interest in Ares Operating Group entities	23,505	23,988	23,947
Preferred equity (12,400,000 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016)	298,761	0
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P. :
Partners' Capital (80,814,732 units and 80,679,600 units, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	301,790	251,537
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(8,939)	(4,619)
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P	292,851	246,918
Total equity	1,377,262	968,406	5,697,935	$ 6,540,544
Total liabilities, redeemable interest, non-controlling interests and equity	$ 5,829,712	$ 4,321,408
Preferred equity, units issued (in units)	12,400,000
Preferred equity, units outstanding (in units)	12,400,000
Partners' Capital units issued (in units)	80,814,732	80,679,600
Partners' Capital units outstanding (in units)	80,814,732	80,679,600
Reportable legal entity
Assets
Total assets	$ 3,822,010
Liabilities
Preferred equity (12,400,000 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016)	298,761
Eliminations
Assets
Total assets	(168,390)	$ (180,222)
Liabilities
Total liabilities	(44,744)	(34,121)
Commitments and contingencies
Preferred equity (12,400,000 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016)	0
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P. :
Total equity	(123,646)	(146,101)
Total liabilities, redeemable interest, non-controlling interests and equity	(168,390)	(180,222)
Ares Management L.P
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	342,861	121,483	148,858	$ 89,802
Investments, at fair value	468,471	468,287
Performance fees receivable	759,099	534,661
Due from affiliates	162,936	144,982
Other assets	65,565	62,975
Intangible assets, net	58,315	84,971
Goodwill	143,724	144,067
Deferred tax asset, net	6,731	0
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	83,336	102,626
Accrued compensation	131,736	125,032
Due to affiliates	17,564	12,901
Performance fee compensation payable	598,050	401,715
Debt obligations	305,784	389,120
Equity compensation put option liability	0	20,000
Deferred tax liability, net	0	21,288
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P. :
Partners' Capital (80,814,732 units and 80,679,600 units, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	301,790	251,537
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(8,939)	(4,619)
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P	292,851	246,918
Investments, at fair value	448,336	446,779
Ares Management L.P | Reportable legal entity
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	342,861	121,483
Investments, at fair value	622,215	636,092
Performance fees receivable	767,429	541,852
Due from affiliates	169,252	149,771
Other assets	65,565	62,975
Intangible assets, net	58,315	84,971
Goodwill	143,724	144,067
Deferred tax asset, net	6,731
Total assets	2,176,092	1,741,211
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	83,336	102,734
Accrued compensation	131,736	125,032
Due to affiliates	17,959	13,016
Performance fee compensation payable	598,050	401,715
Debt obligations	305,784	389,120
Equity compensation put option liability		20,000
Deferred tax liability, net		21,288
Total liabilities	1,136,865	1,072,905
Commitments and contingencies
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P. :
Partners' Capital (80,814,732 units and 80,679,600 units, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	301,790	251,537
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(8,939)	(4,619)
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P	292,851	246,918
Total equity	1,039,227	644,801
Total liabilities, redeemable interest, non-controlling interests and equity	2,176,092	1,741,211
Ares Management L.P | Eliminations
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0
Investments, at fair value	(153,744)	(167,805)
Performance fees receivable	(8,330)	(7,191)
Due from affiliates	(6,316)	(4,789)
Other assets	0
Intangible assets, net	0
Goodwill	0
Deferred tax asset, net	0
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	0	(108)
Accrued compensation	0
Due to affiliates	(395)	(115)
Performance fee compensation payable	0
Debt obligations	0
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P. :
Partners' Capital (80,814,732 units and 80,679,600 units, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively)	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P	0	0
Consolidated Funds
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	455,280	159,507
Investments, at fair value	3,330,203	2,559,783
Due from affiliates	3,592	12,923
Dividends and interest receivable	8,479	13,005
Receivable for securities sold	21,955	13,416
Other assets	2,501	1,348
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	21,056	18,951
Due to affiliates	0	0
Payable for securities purchased	208,742	51,778
CLO loan obligations, at fair value	3,031,112	2,174,352
Fund borrowings	55,070	11,734
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable interest in Ares Operating Group entities	0	23,505	$ 23,988
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds	338,035	320,238
Equity appropriated for Consolidated Funds	0	3,367
Non-controlling interest	338,035	323,605
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P. :
Investments, at fair value	3,330,203	2,559,783
Consolidated Funds | Reportable legal entity
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	455,280	159,507
Investments, at fair value	3,330,203	2,559,783
Due from affiliates	3,592	13,360
Dividends and interest receivable	8,479	13,005
Receivable for securities sold	21,955	13,416
Other assets	2,501	1,348
Total assets		2,760,419
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	21,056	18,956
Due to affiliates	10,599	5,617
Payable for securities purchased	208,742	51,778
CLO loan obligations, at fair value	3,064,862	2,202,628
Fund borrowings	55,070	11,734
Total liabilities	3,360,329	2,290,713
Commitments and contingencies
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds	461,681	466,339
Equity appropriated for Consolidated Funds		3,367
Non-controlling interest		469,706
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P. :
Total equity	461,681	469,706
Total liabilities, redeemable interest, non-controlling interests and equity	3,822,010	2,760,419
Consolidated Funds | Eliminations
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0
Investments, at fair value	0
Due from affiliates	0	(437)
Dividends and interest receivable	0
Receivable for securities sold	0
Other assets	0
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	0	(5)
Due to affiliates	(10,599)	(5,617)
Payable for securities purchased	0	0
CLO loan obligations, at fair value	(33,750)	(28,276)
Fund borrowings	0	0
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds	(123,646)	(146,101)
Non-controlling interest		(146,101)
AOG
Liabilities
Redeemable interest in Ares Operating Group entities	0	23,505
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest	447,615	397,883
AOG | Reportable legal entity
Liabilities
Redeemable interest in Ares Operating Group entities		23,505
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest	447,615	$ 397,883
AOG | Eliminations
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest	$ 0