Related Party Transactions (Details)		3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) numberOfWarrants		Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) period numberOfWarrants		Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) numberOfWarrants		Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Oct. 03, 2022 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Annual base management fee percentage				1.50%
Base management fee to affiliate	[1]			$ 16,847,000		$ 13,422,000		$ 11,508,000
Base management fee, gross				18,500,000		16,000,000		12,600,000
Management Fee Expense, Rebates				$ 1,612,000		2,593,000	[1]	1,051,000
Incentive fee rate				25.00%
Incentive Fee, Loss Carryforward		$ 0		$ 85,000,000		0
Incentive fee hurdle rate fixed				9.00%
Incentive fee hurdle rate floating				3.00%
Minimum percentage of incentive fee to be paid in share				10.00%
Termination Fee, Number Of Periods | period				2
Termination Fee, Period				12 months
Expense Reimbursement Period				60 days
Expense Reimbursement - Manager				$ 16,200,000		9,900,000
Real estate owned		24,681,000	[2],[3]	28,403,000	[2],[3]	24,681,000	[2],[3]		$ 8,511,000
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[2],[3]	2,087,360,000		1,459,465,000		2,087,360,000
Non-controlling interests	[2]	32,235,000		24,919,000		32,235,000
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[2]	22,098,000		73,819,000		22,098,000
Reverse repurchase agreements		2,469,763,000		2,609,685,000		2,469,763,000
Other assets		3,710,000	[2]	76,791,000	[2]	3,710,000	[2]		51,475,000
Unpaid Principal Balance		2,366,724,000		11,609,077,000		2,366,724,000
Related Party Transaction, Purchases from Related Party				8,400,000		5,900,000		1,600,000
Securities Collateral relating to Reverse Repurchase Agreements		2,800,000,000		3,200,000,000		2,800,000,000
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)				(17,716,000)		3,144,000		11,377,000
Loans, at fair value		2,415,321,000	[2],[3]	11,626,008,000	[2],[3]	2,415,321,000	[2],[3]		$ 7,698,426,000
Incentive Fee Expense		5,300,000		0		15,658,000		0
Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities				(63,614,000)		58,104,000		37,933,000
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments				32,835,000		24,066,000		34,624,000
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value	[2]	195,643,000		127,046,000		195,643,000
Jepson Holdings Limited
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		1,000,000		600,000		1,000,000
Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reverse repurchase agreements		150,500,000		274,400,000		150,500,000
Fair Value		34,000,000		2,200,000		34,000,000
Long
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		2,087,360,000		1,459,465,000		2,087,360,000
Corporate loan [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		10,531,000		4,132,000		10,531,000
Loans, at fair value		10,531,000		4,086,000		10,531,000
Non-Agency RMBS | Long
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		201,605,000		238,890,000		201,605,000
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	[2]	3,700,000		4,100,000		3,700,000
Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Warehouse facility, monetary amount				$ 5,000,000
Interest rate				15.00%
Advances made under warehouse facility		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0
Mortgage Originator | Warrants
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Derivative, Number of Instruments Held | numberOfWarrants		8,280,000				8,280,000
Mortgage Originator | Warrants
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		$ 10,000,000		11,500,000		$ 10,000,000
Related Party-Consumer Loans Titled in Name of Related Party
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		72,800,000		70,200,000		72,800,000
Purchasing Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		61,700,000		4,300,000		61,700,000
Consumer loans purchased through affiliate				10,000,000		41,400,000		$ 115,700,000
Estimated remaining contingent purchase obligations		13,400,000				13,400,000
Related party trust - Residential Mortgage Loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		975,700,000		$ 1,452,000,000		$ 975,700,000
Mortgage loan originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Termination of warrants | numberOfWarrants				1,049,000
Mortgage loan originator | Equity Method Investee | Secured promissory note converted to equity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities				$ (4,800,000)
Outstanding debt converted to equity				2,000,000
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments				$ 150,000
Equity Method Investee | Corporate loan [Member] | Promissory note to equity method investee, effective date March 2022
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Management Fee Expense, Rebates		$ 400,000
Investment Interest Rate		0.00%		7.00%		0.00%
Unpaid Principal Balance		$ 0		$ 475,000		$ 0
Loans, at fair value		0		475,000		0
Non-controlling interest of joint venture partner | Unrelated third party joint venture interest | Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-controlling interests		2,000,000		300,000		2,000,000
Non-controlling interest of joint venture partner | Related party joint venture interest | Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-controlling interests		3,600,000		400,000		3,600,000
Mortgage-related Commercial | Corporate equity securities
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair Value		36,900,000		68,500,000		36,900,000
Participation in multi-borrower financing facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Outstanding debt of related party		566,000,000		872,500,000		566,000,000
Warehouse facilities - CLO securitizations
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		$ 1,700,000		500,000		$ 1,700,000
Maximum | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Commitment to purchase loans				$ 150,000,000
Maximum | Mortgage loan originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of warrants available for purchase under commitment agreement | numberOfWarrants				9,329,000

[1] See Note 15 for further details on management fee rebates.

[2] Ellington Financial Inc.'s Consolidated Balance Sheets include assets and liabilities of variable interest entities it has consolidated. See Note 11 for additional details on Ellington Financial Inc.'s consolidated variable interest entities.

[3] Includes assets pledged as collateral to counterparties. See Note 13 for additional details on the Company's borrowings and related collateral.