Earnings Per Share - Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share from Continuing Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2024	Mar. 31, 2023
Basic and diluted earnings per share numerators (in millions):
Net income (loss) attributable to White Mountains’s common shareholders	$ 236.4	$ 179.5
Allocation of losses (earnings) to participating restricted common shares	(2.7)	(2.2)
Basic earnings (losses) per share numerators, Total	233.7	177.3
Diluted earnings (losses) per share numerators, Total	$ 233.7	$ 177.3
Basic earnings per share denominators (in thousands):
Total average common shares outstanding during the period (in shares)	2,559,700	2,569,900
Average unvested restricted common shares (in shares)	(28,600)	(31,100)
Basic earnings (losses) per share denominator (in shares)	2,531,100	2,538,800
Diluted earnings per share denominator (in thousands):
Total average common shares outstanding during the period (in shares)	2,559,700	2,569,900
Average unvested restricted common shares (in shares)	(28,600)	(31,100)
Diluted earnings (losses) per share denominator (in shares)	2,531,100	2,538,800
Basic and diluted earnings per share (in dollars):
Distributed earnings - dividends declared and paid (in usd per share)	$ 1.00	$ 1.00
Distributed earnings - dividends declared and paid (in usd per share)	1.00	1.00
Undistributed earnings (losses) (in usd per share)	91.33	68.83
Undistributed earnings (losses) (in usd per share)	91.33	68.83
Basic and diluted earnings (losses) per share (in usd per share)	92.33	69.83
Basic and diluted earnings (losses) per share (in usd per share)	$ 92.33	$ 69.83