CONSOLIDATION (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Assets
Goodwill	$ 143,880	$ 143,724
Total assets	8,019,437	5,829,712
Liabilities
Total liabilities	6,641,516	4,452,450
Commitments and contingencies
Preferred equity (12,400,000 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016)	298,761	298,761
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Partners' capital (82,211,302 units and 80,814,732 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017 and at December 31, 2016, respectively)	275,410	301,790
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(4,486)	(8,939)
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.	270,924	292,851
Total equity	1,377,921	1,377,262
Total liabilities and equity	$ 8,019,437	$ 5,829,712
Preferred equity, units issued (in units)	12,400,000	12,400,000
Preferred equity, units outstanding (in units)	12,400,000	12,400,000
Partners' Capital units issued (in units)	82,211,302	80,814,732
Partners' Capital units outstanding (in units)	82,211,302	80,814,732
Reportable legal entity
Assets
Total assets	$ 5,760,754
Liabilities
Preferred equity (12,400,000 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016)	298,761	$ 298,761
Eliminations
Assets
Total assets	(171,080)	(168,390)
Liabilities
Total liabilities	(22,228)	(44,744)
Commitments and contingencies
Preferred equity (12,400,000 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016)	0	0
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Total equity	(148,852)	(123,646)
Total liabilities and equity	(171,080)	(168,390)
Ares Management L.P
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	186,437	342,861	$ 336,783	$ 121,483
Investments, at fair value	584,695	468,471
Performance fees receivable	997,578	759,099
Due from affiliates	161,432	162,936
Deferred tax asset, net	36,661	6,731
Other assets	103,885	65,565
Intangible assets, net	44,115	58,315
Goodwill	143,880	143,724
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	94,351	83,336
Accrued compensation	133,799	131,736
Due to affiliates	17,207	17,564
Performance fee compensation payable	780,201	598,050
Debt obligations	486,007	305,784
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Partners' capital (82,211,302 units and 80,814,732 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017 and at December 31, 2016, respectively)	275,410	301,790
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(4,486)	(8,939)
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.	270,924	292,851
Investments	581,614	448,336
Ares Management L.P | Reportable legal entity
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	186,437	342,861
Investments, at fair value	746,990	622,215
Performance fees receivable	1,001,581	767,429
Due from affiliates	166,214	169,252
Deferred tax asset, net	36,661	6,731
Other assets	103,885	65,565
Intangible assets, net	44,115	58,315
Goodwill	143,880	143,724
Total assets	2,429,763	2,176,092
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	94,351	83,336
Accrued compensation	133,799	131,736
Due to affiliates	17,207	17,959
Performance fee compensation payable	780,201	598,050
Debt obligations	486,007	305,784
Total liabilities	1,511,565	1,136,865
Commitments and contingencies
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Partners' capital (82,211,302 units and 80,814,732 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017 and at December 31, 2016, respectively)	275,410	301,790
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	(4,486)	(8,939)
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.	270,924	292,851
Total equity	918,198	1,039,227
Total liabilities and equity	2,429,763	2,176,092
Ares Management L.P | Eliminations
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0
Investments, at fair value	(162,295)	(153,744)
Performance fees receivable	(4,003)	(8,330)
Due from affiliates	(4,782)	(6,316)
Deferred tax asset, net	0	0
Other assets	0
Intangible assets, net	0
Goodwill	0
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	0
Accrued compensation	0
Due to affiliates	0	(395)
Performance fee compensation payable	0
Debt obligations	0
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Partners' capital (82,211,302 units and 80,814,732 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017 and at December 31, 2016, respectively)	0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax	0
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.	0	0
Consolidated Funds
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	799,609	455,280
Investments, at fair value	4,915,029	3,330,203
Due from affiliates	8,047	3,592
Other assets	2,082	2,501
Dividends and interest receivable	10,061	8,479
Receivable for securities sold	25,926	21,955
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	50,992	21,056
Due to affiliates	0	0
Payable for securities purchased	481,055	208,742
CLO loan obligations, at fair value	4,476,643	3,031,112
Fund borrowings	121,261	55,070
Non-controlling interest in Ares Operating Group entities	459,723	338,035
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Investments	4,915,029	3,330,203
Consolidated Funds | Reportable legal entity
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	799,609	455,280
Investments, at fair value	4,915,029	3,330,203
Due from affiliates	8,047	3,592
Other assets	2,082	2,501
Dividends and interest receivable	10,061	8,479
Receivable for securities sold	25,926	21,955
Total assets		3,822,010
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	50,992	21,056
Due to affiliates	8,786	10,599
Payable for securities purchased	481,055	208,742
CLO loan obligations, at fair value	4,490,085	3,064,862
Fund borrowings	121,261	55,070
Total liabilities	5,152,179	3,360,329
Commitments and contingencies
Non-controlling interest in Ares Operating Group entities	608,575	461,681
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Total equity	608,575	461,681
Total liabilities and equity	5,760,754	3,822,010
Consolidated Funds | Eliminations
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0
Investments, at fair value	0
Due from affiliates	0
Other assets	0
Dividends and interest receivable	0
Receivable for securities sold	0
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	0
Due to affiliates	(8,786)	(10,599)
Payable for securities purchased	0	0
CLO loan obligations, at fair value	(13,442)	(33,750)
Fund borrowings	0	0
Non-controlling interest in Ares Operating Group entities	(148,852)	(123,646)
AOG
Liabilities
Non-controlling interest in Ares Operating Group entities	348,513	447,615
AOG | Reportable legal entity
Liabilities
Non-controlling interest in Ares Operating Group entities	$ 348,513	$ 447,615