CONSOLIDATION (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets
Goodwill	$ 143,895	$ 143,724	$ 144,067
Total assets	8,563,522	5,829,712	4,321,408
Liabilities
Total liabilities	7,103,230	4,452,450
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable interest in Ares Operating Group entities		23,505	23,988
Preferred equity (12,400,000 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016)	298,761	298,761
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Partners' Capital (82,280,033 units and 80,814,732 units, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively)	279,065	301,790
Accumulated other comprehensive (benefit) loss, net of tax	(4,208)	(8,939)
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.	274,857	292,851
Total equity	1,460,292	1,377,262	968,406	$ 5,697,935
Total liabilities, non-controlling interests and equity	$ 8,563,522	$ 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)	82,280,033	80,814,732
Partners' Capital units outstanding (in units)	82,280,033	80,814,732
Reportable legal entity
Liabilities
Preferred equity (12,400,000 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016)	$ 298,761
Eliminations
Assets
Total assets	(186,904)	$ (168,390)	(180,222)
Liabilities
Total liabilities	(22,201)	(44,744)
Commitments and contingencies
Preferred equity (12,400,000 units issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016)	0
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Total equity	(164,703)	(123,646)
Total liabilities, non-controlling interests and equity	(186,904)	(168,390)
Ares Management L.P
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	118,929	342,861	121,483	$ 148,858
Investments	647,335	468,471
Performance fees receivable	1,099,847	759,099
Due from affiliates	165,750	162,936
Other assets	107,730	65,565
Intangible assets, net	40,465	58,315
Goodwill	143,895	143,724
Deferred tax asset, net	8,326	6,731
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	81,955	83,336
Accrued compensation	27,978	131,736
Due to affiliates	14,642	17,564
Performance fee compensation payable	846,626	598,050
Debt obligations	616,176	305,784
Equity compensation put option liability		0
Deferred tax liability, net		0
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Partners' Capital (82,280,033 units and 80,814,732 units, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively)	279,065	301,790
Accumulated other comprehensive (benefit) loss, net of tax	(4,208)	(8,939)
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.	274,857	292,851
Ares Management L.P | Reportable legal entity
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	118,929	342,861
Investments	822,955	622,215
Performance fees receivable	1,105,180	767,429
Due from affiliates	171,701	169,252
Other assets	107,730	65,565
Intangible assets, net	40,465	58,315
Goodwill	143,895	143,724
Deferred tax asset, net	8,326	6,731
Total assets	2,519,181	2,176,092
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	81,955	83,336
Accrued compensation	27,978	131,736
Due to affiliates	14,642	17,959
Performance fee compensation payable	846,626	598,050
Debt obligations	616,176	305,784
Total liabilities	1,587,377	1,136,865
Commitments and contingencies
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Partners' Capital (82,280,033 units and 80,814,732 units, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively)	279,065	301,790
Accumulated other comprehensive (benefit) loss, net of tax	(4,208)	(8,939)
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.	274,857	292,851
Total equity	931,804	1,039,227
Total liabilities, non-controlling interests and equity	2,519,181	2,176,092
Ares Management L.P | Eliminations
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0
Investments	(175,620)	(153,744)
Performance fees receivable	(5,333)	(8,330)
Due from affiliates	(5,951)	(6,316)
Other assets	0
Intangible assets, net	0
Goodwill	0
Deferred tax asset, net	0	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 (82,280,033 units and 80,814,732 units, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively)	0
Accumulated other comprehensive (benefit) loss, net of tax	0
Total controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.	0	0
Consolidated Funds
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	556,500	455,280
Investments	5,582,842	3,330,203
Due from affiliates	15,884	3,592
Dividends and interest receivable	12,568	8,479
Receivable for securities sold	61,462	21,955
Other assets	1,989	2,501
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	64,316	21,056
Due to affiliates	0	0
Payable for securities purchased	350,145	208,742
CLO loan obligations, at fair value	4,963,194	3,031,112
Fund borrowings	138,198	55,070
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable interest in Ares Operating Group entities		0	23,505
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds	528,488	338,035
Consolidated Funds | Reportable legal entity
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	556,500	455,280
Investments	5,582,842	3,330,203
Due from affiliates	15,884	3,592
Dividends and interest receivable	12,568	8,479
Receivable for securities sold	61,462	21,955
Other assets	1,989	2,501
Total assets	6,231,245	3,822,010	2,760,419
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	64,316	21,056
Due to affiliates	11,285	10,599
Payable for securities purchased	350,145	208,742
CLO loan obligations, at fair value	4,974,110	3,064,862
Fund borrowings	138,198	55,070
Total liabilities		3,360,329
Commitments and contingencies
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds	693,191	461,681
Controlling interest in Ares Management, L.P.:
Total equity	693,191	461,681
Total liabilities, non-controlling interests and equity	6,231,245	3,822,010
Consolidated Funds | Eliminations
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0
Investments	0
Due from affiliates	0
Dividends and interest receivable	0
Receivable for securities sold	0
Other assets	0
Liabilities
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities	0
Due to affiliates	(11,285)	(10,599)
Payable for securities purchased	0	0
CLO loan obligations, at fair value	(10,916)	(33,750)
Fund borrowings	0	0
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds	(164,703)	(123,646)
Ares Operating Group
Liabilities
Redeemable interest in Ares Operating Group entities		298,761	$ 23,505
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest	358,186	447,615
Ares Operating Group | Reportable legal entity
Liabilities
Redeemable interest in Ares Operating Group entities		298,761
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest	358,186	$ 447,615
Ares Operating Group | Eliminations
Non-controlling interest in Consolidated Funds
Non-controlling interest	$ 0