Investments - Summary of Gross Unrealized Losses and Fair Values of Ambac's Available-for-Sale Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	$ 490	$ 401
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	5	4
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	25	88
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	1	1
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	515	489
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	6	5
Short-term Investments [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	152	201
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	152	201
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Fixed Income Investments And Other Investments [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	6
Fixed Income Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	338	200
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	5	4
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	25	88
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	1	1
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	363	288
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	6	5
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Municipal Bonds [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	64	13
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	1	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	6	10
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	70	23
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	1	0
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	179	63
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	3	2
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	0	5
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	179	68
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	3	2
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Debt Security, Government, Non-US [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	12	20
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	12	20
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| US Government Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	11	36
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	1	2
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	0	2
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	11	38
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	1	2
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	19	5
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	19	5
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months		7
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss		0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer		0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss		0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position		7
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax		0
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	53	53
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	1	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	15	63
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	1
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	67	116
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	1	1
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	1	2
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	4	7
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	1	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	5	10
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	1	0
Collateral Pledged [Member] \| Short-term Investments [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax		0
Collateral Pledged [Member] \| Fixed Income Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	$ 0
Collateral Pledged [Member] \| Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Short-term Investments [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	$ 0

Amount, before tax, of unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

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Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in continuous unrealized loss position for more than 12 months, without allowance for credit loss. Includes beneficial interest in securitized financial asset.

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Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in continuous unrealized loss position for 12 months or longer, without allowance for credit loss. Includes beneficial interest in securitized financial asset.

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Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in continuous unrealized loss position for less than 12 months, without allowance for credit loss. Includes beneficial interest in securitized financial asset.

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Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in continuous unrealized loss position for less than 12 months, without allowance for credit loss. Includes beneficial interest in securitized financial asset.

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Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in unrealized loss position without allowance for credit loss.

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