DERIVATIVES AND HEDGING - Balance Sheet Offsetting (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Derivative Assets:
Derivative assets, at fair value	$ 1,637	$ 204,226
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Assets	1,622	50,285
Cash Collateral Received (Pledged)	0	0
Net Amount	15	153,941
Derivative Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	(13,485)	(304,437)
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Liabilities	(1,622)	(50,285)
Cash Collateral Pledged	(285)	(202,765)
Net Amount	(11,578)	(51,387)
Oaktree Capital Group Excluding Consolidated Funds
Derivative Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	(12,969)	(4,229)
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Liabilities	(1,452)	(2,047)
Cash Collateral Pledged	0	0
Net Amount	(11,517)	(2,182)
Oaktree Capital Group Excluding Consolidated Funds | Foreign-currency forward contracts
Derivative Assets:
Derivative assets, at fair value	1,452	5,875
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Assets	1,452	2,047
Cash Collateral Received (Pledged)	0	0
Net Amount	0	3,828
Derivative Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	(12,631)	(3,286)
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Liabilities	(1,452)	(2,047)
Cash Collateral Pledged	0	0
Net Amount	(11,179)	(1,239)
Oaktree Capital Group Excluding Consolidated Funds | Interest-rate swaps
Derivative Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	(338)	(943)
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Liabilities	0	0
Cash Collateral Pledged	0	0
Net Amount	(338)	(943)
Consolidated Funds
Derivative Assets:
Derivative assets, at fair value	185	198,351
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Assets	170	48,238
Cash Collateral Received (Pledged)	0	0
Net Amount	15	150,113
Derivative Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	(516)	(300,208)
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Liabilities	(170)	(48,238)
Cash Collateral Pledged	(285)	(202,765)
Net Amount	(61)	(49,205)
Consolidated Funds | Foreign-currency forward contracts
Derivative Assets:
Derivative assets, at fair value	1	156,234
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Assets	1	38,033
Cash Collateral Received (Pledged)	0	0
Net Amount	0	118,201
Derivative Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	(62)	(64,364)
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Liabilities	(1)	(38,788)
Cash Collateral Pledged	0	0
Net Amount	(61)	(25,576)
Consolidated Funds | Total-return and interest-rate swaps
Derivative Assets:
Derivative assets, at fair value	155	16,544
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Assets	155	4,526
Cash Collateral Received (Pledged)	0	0
Net Amount	0	12,018
Derivative Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	(393)	(231,610)
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Liabilities	(155)	(5,304)
Cash Collateral Pledged	(238)	(202,677)
Net Amount	0	(23,629)
Consolidated Funds | Options and futures
Derivative Assets:
Derivative assets, at fair value	29	25,559
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Assets	14	5,665
Cash Collateral Received (Pledged)	0	0
Net Amount	15	19,894
Derivative Liabilities:
Derivative liabilities	(61)	(4,234)
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Liabilities	(14)	(4,146)
Cash Collateral Pledged	(47)	(88)
Net Amount	$ 0	0
Consolidated Funds | Swaptions
Derivative Assets:
Derivative assets, at fair value		14
Gross Amounts Not Offset in Statements of Financial Condition
Derivative Assets		14
Cash Collateral Received (Pledged)		0
Net Amount		$ 0