Fair Value - Fair Value Hierarchy (Details) - Recurring - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		$ 6,700,978	$ 5,332,640
Liabilities measured at fair value		0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Contingent consideration liability
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value		0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Securities sold but not yet purchased
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value	[1]	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Derivative instruments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value		0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed maturities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	5,005,512	3,657,181
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed maturities | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed maturities | Mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed maturities | Municipal bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed maturities | Commercial mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed maturities | US government and government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	5,005,512	3,657,181
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed maturities | Non-US government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fixed maturities | Asset backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Equity securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		514,380	321,927
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Short-term investments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		720,518	875,881
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Derivative instruments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair value option
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		460,568	477,651
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair value option | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair value option | Mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair value option | Municipal bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair value option | US government and government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		1,886	111,138
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair value option | Non-US government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair value option | Asset backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair value option | Short-term investments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		376,033	278,579
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair value option | Equity securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		41,333	48,827
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Fair value option | Other investments fair value option
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		41,316	39,107
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		14,139,340	13,852,372
Liabilities measured at fair value		(119,476)	(28,454)
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Contingent consideration liability
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value		0	0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Securities sold but not yet purchased
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value	[1]	(65,736)	(7,790)
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Derivative instruments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value		(53,740)	(20,664)
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed maturities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	11,860,340	11,286,875
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed maturities | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	6,261,248	5,529,407
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed maturities | Mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	543,761	540,884
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed maturities | Municipal bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	653,346	1,013,395
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed maturities | Commercial mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	754,306	729,438
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed maturities | US government and government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	121,778	101,517
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed maturities | Non-US government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	1,873,856	1,771,338
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fixed maturities | Asset backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	1,652,045	1,600,896
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Equity securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		11,402	31,867
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Short-term investments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		31,471	79,999
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Derivative instruments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		51,647	73,893
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair value option
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		2,184,480	2,379,738
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair value option | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		597,000	846,827
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair value option | Mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		15,512	16,731
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair value option | Municipal bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		1,140	7,144
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair value option | US government and government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		110	108
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair value option | Non-US government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		61,755	79,066
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair value option | Asset backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		208,620	178,790
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair value option | Short-term investments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		14,947	43,598
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair value option | Equity securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		735	55,066
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Fair value option | Other investments fair value option
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		1,284,661	1,152,408
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		214,283	76,917
Liabilities measured at fair value		(7,344)	(66,665)
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Contingent consideration liability
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value		(7,344)	(66,665)
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Securities sold but not yet purchased
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value	[1]	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Derivative instruments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value		0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed maturities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	14,466	8,454
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed maturities | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	8,745	8,141
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed maturities | Mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	272	309
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed maturities | Municipal bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed maturities | Commercial mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	0	4
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed maturities | US government and government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed maturities | Non-US government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fixed maturities | Asset backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[2]	5,449	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Equity securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		35,323	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Short-term investments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Derivative instruments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair value option
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		164,494	68,463
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair value option | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		22,779	5,758
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair value option | Mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair value option | Municipal bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair value option | US government and government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair value option | Non-US government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair value option | Asset backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair value option | Short-term investments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair value option | Equity securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		56,272	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Fair value option | Other investments fair value option
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		85,443	62,705
Estimated Fair Value
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		22,083,301	20,319,648
Liabilities measured at fair value		(126,820)	(95,119)
Estimated Fair Value | Contingent consideration liability
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value		(7,344)	(66,665)
Estimated Fair Value | Securities sold but not yet purchased
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value	[1]	(65,736)	(7,790)
Estimated Fair Value | Derivative instruments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities measured at fair value		(53,740)	(20,664)
Estimated Fair Value | Fixed maturities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		16,880,318	14,952,510
Estimated Fair Value | Fixed maturities | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		6,269,993	5,537,548
Estimated Fair Value | Fixed maturities | Mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		544,033	541,193
Estimated Fair Value | Fixed maturities | Municipal bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		653,346	1,013,395
Estimated Fair Value | Fixed maturities | Commercial mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		754,306	729,442
Estimated Fair Value | Fixed maturities | US government and government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		5,127,290	3,758,698
Estimated Fair Value | Fixed maturities | Non-US government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		1,873,856	1,771,338
Estimated Fair Value | Fixed maturities | Asset backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		1,657,494	1,600,896
Estimated Fair Value | Equity securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		561,105	353,794
Estimated Fair Value | Short-term investments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		751,989	955,880
Estimated Fair Value | Derivative instruments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		51,647	73,893
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		3,838,242	3,983,571
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option | Corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		619,779	852,585
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option | Mortgage backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		15,512	16,731
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option | Municipal bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		1,140	7,144
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option | US government and government agencies
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		1,996	111,246
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option | Non-US government securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		61,755	79,066
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option | Asset backed securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		208,620	178,790
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option | Short-term investments
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		390,980	322,177
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option | Equity securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		98,340	103,893
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option | Other investments fair value option
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value		1,411,420	1,254,220
Estimated Fair Value | Fair value option | Other investments measured at net asset value
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets measured at fair value	[3]	$ 1,028,700	$ 1,057,719

[1] Represents the Company’s obligations to deliver securities that it did not own at the time of sale. Such amounts are included in “other liabilities” on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

[2] In securities lending transactions, the Company receives collateral in excess of the fair value of the securities pledged. For purposes of this table, the Company has excluded the collateral received under securities lending, at fair value and included the securities pledged under securities lending, at fair value. See note 6, “—Securities Lending Agreements.”

[3] In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, certain investments that are measured at fair value using the net asset value per share (or its equivalent) practical expedient have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value amounts presented in this table are intended to permit reconciliation of the fair value hierarchy to the amounts presented in the consolidated balance sheets.