FAIR VALUE (Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Assets, at fair value
Investments Measured at NAV	$ 381,610	$ 325,715
Ares Management L.P
Assets, at fair value
Investments	581,614	448,336
Investments Measured at NAV	381,610	325,715
Total derivative assets, at fair value	1,310	3,171
Total assets, at fair value	582,924	451,507
Liabilities, at fair value
Contingent considerations		(22,156)
Total liabilities, at fair value	(4,194)	(22,156)
Ares Management L.P | Foreign exchange contracts
Liabilities, at fair value
Derivative liabilities	(4,194)
Ares Management L.P | Fixed income-collateralized loan obligations
Assets, at fair value
Investments	162,261	89,111
Ares Management L.P | Equity securities
Assets, at fair value
Investments	1,304	100
Ares Management L.P | Partnership interests
Assets, at fair value
Investments	418,049	359,125
Investments Measured at NAV	381,610	325,715
Ares Management L.P | Level I
Assets, at fair value
Investments	300	100
Total assets, at fair value	300	100
Liabilities, at fair value
Contingent considerations		0
Total liabilities, at fair value	0	0
Ares Management L.P | Level I | Foreign exchange contracts
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value	0	0
Liabilities, at fair value
Derivative liabilities	0
Ares Management L.P | Level I | Fixed income-collateralized loan obligations
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Ares Management L.P | Level I | Equity securities
Assets, at fair value
Investments	300	100
Ares Management L.P | Level I | Partnership interests
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Ares Management L.P | Level II
Assets, at fair value
Investments	1,004	0
Total assets, at fair value	2,314	3,171
Liabilities, at fair value
Contingent considerations		0
Total liabilities, at fair value	(4,194)	0
Ares Management L.P | Level II | Foreign exchange contracts
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value	1,310	3,171
Liabilities, at fair value
Derivative liabilities	(4,194)
Ares Management L.P | Level II | Fixed income-collateralized loan obligations
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Ares Management L.P | Level II | Equity securities
Assets, at fair value
Investments	1,004	0
Ares Management L.P | Level II | Partnership interests
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Ares Management L.P | Level III
Assets, at fair value
Investments	198,700	122,521
Total assets, at fair value	198,700	122,521
Liabilities, at fair value
Contingent considerations		(22,156)
Total liabilities, at fair value	0	(22,156)
Ares Management L.P | Level III | Foreign exchange contracts
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value	0	0
Liabilities, at fair value
Derivative liabilities	0
Ares Management L.P | Level III | Fixed income-collateralized loan obligations
Assets, at fair value
Investments	162,261	89,111
Ares Management L.P | Level III | Equity securities
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Ares Management L.P | Level III | Partnership interests
Assets, at fair value
Investments	36,439	33,410
Consolidated Funds
Assets, at fair value
Investments	4,915,029	3,330,203
Total derivative assets, at fair value		820
Total assets, at fair value	4,916,357	3,331,023
Liabilities, at fair value
Loan obligations of CLOs	(4,476,643)	(3,031,112)
Total liabilities, at fair value	(4,476,844)	(3,034,111)
Consolidated Funds | Foreign exchange contracts
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value		529
Consolidated Funds | Derivatives—other
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value	1,328	291
Liabilities, at fair value
Derivative liabilities	(201)	(2,999)
Consolidated Funds | Fixed income-collateralized loan obligations
Assets, at fair value
Investments	20,000	5,973
Consolidated Funds | Equity securities
Assets, at fair value
Investments	222,166	204,921
Consolidated Funds | Partnership interests
Assets, at fair value
Investments	224,010	171,696
Consolidated Funds | Bonds
Assets, at fair value
Investments	99,056	141,949
Consolidated Funds | Loans
Assets, at fair value
Investments	4,349,797	2,805,640
Consolidated Funds | Fixed Income
Assets, at fair value
Investments	4,468,853	2,953,562
Consolidated Funds | Other
Assets, at fair value
Investments		24
Consolidated Funds | Level I
Assets, at fair value
Investments	65,150	56,662
Total derivative assets, at fair value		0
Total assets, at fair value	65,150	56,662
Liabilities, at fair value
Loan obligations of CLOs	0	0
Total liabilities, at fair value	0	0
Consolidated Funds | Level I | Foreign exchange contracts
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value		0
Consolidated Funds | Level I | Derivatives—other
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value	0	0
Liabilities, at fair value
Derivative liabilities	0	0
Consolidated Funds | Level I | Fixed income-collateralized loan obligations
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Consolidated Funds | Level I | Equity securities
Assets, at fair value
Investments	65,150	56,662
Consolidated Funds | Level I | Partnership interests
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Consolidated Funds | Level I | Bonds
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Consolidated Funds | Level I | Loans
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Consolidated Funds | Level I | Fixed Income
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Consolidated Funds | Level I | Other
Assets, at fair value
Investments		0
Consolidated Funds | Level II
Assets, at fair value
Investments	4,149,435	2,728,902
Total derivative assets, at fair value		529
Total assets, at fair value	4,149,435	2,729,431
Liabilities, at fair value
Loan obligations of CLOs	(4,476,643)	(3,031,112)
Total liabilities, at fair value	(4,476,643)	(3,031,112)
Consolidated Funds | Level II | Foreign exchange contracts
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value		529
Consolidated Funds | Level II | Derivatives—other
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value	0	0
Liabilities, at fair value
Derivative liabilities	0	0
Consolidated Funds | Level II | Fixed income-collateralized loan obligations
Assets, at fair value
Investments	20,000	0
Consolidated Funds | Level II | Equity securities
Assets, at fair value
Investments	158	17,569
Consolidated Funds | Level II | Partnership interests
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	0
Consolidated Funds | Level II | Bonds
Assets, at fair value
Investments	91,683	104,886
Consolidated Funds | Level II | Loans
Assets, at fair value
Investments	4,037,594	2,606,423
Consolidated Funds | Level II | Fixed Income
Assets, at fair value
Investments	4,149,277	2,711,309
Consolidated Funds | Level II | Other
Assets, at fair value
Investments		24
Consolidated Funds | Level III
Assets, at fair value
Investments	700,444	544,639
Total derivative assets, at fair value		291
Total assets, at fair value	701,772	544,930
Liabilities, at fair value
Loan obligations of CLOs	0	0
Total liabilities, at fair value	(201)	(2,999)
Consolidated Funds | Level III | Foreign exchange contracts
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value		0
Consolidated Funds | Level III | Derivatives—other
Assets, at fair value
Total derivative assets, at fair value	1,328	291
Liabilities, at fair value
Derivative liabilities	(201)	(2,999)
Consolidated Funds | Level III | Fixed income-collateralized loan obligations
Assets, at fair value
Investments	0	5,973
Consolidated Funds | Level III | Equity securities
Assets, at fair value
Investments	156,858	130,690
Consolidated Funds | Level III | Partnership interests
Assets, at fair value
Investments	224,010	171,696
Consolidated Funds | Level III | Bonds
Assets, at fair value
Investments	7,373	37,063
Consolidated Funds | Level III | Loans
Assets, at fair value
Investments	312,203	199,217
Consolidated Funds | Level III | Fixed Income
Assets, at fair value
Investments	$ 319,576	242,253
Consolidated Funds | Level III | Other
Assets, at fair value
Investments		$ 0