The number of non-vested equity-based payment instruments, excluding stock (or unit) options, that validly exist and are outstanding as of the balance sheet date.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(i)-(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of liabilities for incentive compensation arrangements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wtm_IncentiveCompensationPayable
Namespace Prefix:	wtm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date for performance shares before forfeitures.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wtm_IncentiveCompensationPayableBeforeForfeitures
Namespace Prefix:	wtm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the reduction for assumed forfeitures to the number of performance shares outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wtm_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsAssumedForfeitures
Namespace Prefix:	wtm_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the reduction to accrued expense for assumed forfeitures of performance shares.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wtm_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsAssumedForfeituresAmount
Namespace Prefix:	wtm_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the number of non-vested performance shares before forfeiture assumptions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wtm_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumberBeforeForfeitures
Namespace Prefix:	wtm_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=wtm_OnebeaconMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=wtm_LongTermIncentivePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	wtm_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByPerformanceSharesAwardPerformanceCycleAxis=wtm_RangeOfPerformanceCycleFrom20162018Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	wtm_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByPerformanceSharesAwardPerformanceCycleAxis=wtm_RangeOfPerformanceCycleFrom2015to2017Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	wtm_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByPerformanceSharesAwardPerformanceCycleAxis=wtm_RangeOfPerformanceCycleFrom20142016Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Employee Share-Based Incentive Compensation Plans (OneBeacon - Performance Shares Outstanding) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award
Accrued incentive compensation	$ 114.2	$ 141.7
OneBeacon [Member] \| Performance Share \| One Beacon Long Term Incentive Plan
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award
Target Performance Shares Outstanding	452,519
Incentive Compensation Payable before Forfeitures	$ 1.1
Target Performance Shares Outstanding, Assumed forfeitures	(11,313)
Accrued Expense, Assumed forfeitures	0.0
Total Target Performance Shares Outstanding	441,206	449,435	462,147	517,470
Accrued incentive compensation	$ 1.1	$ 1.4	$ 2.1	$ 3.4
OneBeacon [Member] \| Performance Share \| One Beacon Long Term Incentive Plan \| Performance Cycle 2016 to 2018
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award
Target Performance Shares Outstanding	163,150
Incentive Compensation Payable before Forfeitures	$ 0.1
OneBeacon [Member] \| Performance Share \| One Beacon Long Term Incentive Plan \| Performance Cycle 2015 to 2017
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award
Target Performance Shares Outstanding	146,659
Incentive Compensation Payable before Forfeitures	$ 0.8
OneBeacon [Member] \| Performance Share \| One Beacon Long Term Incentive Plan \| Performance Cycle 2014 to 2016
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award
Target Performance Shares Outstanding	142,710
Incentive Compensation Payable before Forfeitures	$ 0.2