FAIR VALUE - Valuation Techniques (Details) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Oaktree Capital Group Excluding Consolidated Funds
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Total investments	$ 73,080	$ 74,899
Oaktree Capital Group Excluding Consolidated Funds | Corporate investment – Limited partnership interests | Market approach (value of underlying assets) | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Total investments	42,234	45,426
Oaktree Capital Group Excluding Consolidated Funds | Contingent liability | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Contingent liability	$ (6,737)	(6,657)
Oaktree Capital Group Excluding Consolidated Funds | Minimum | Contingent liability | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Contingent liability, measurement inputs	0.00
Oaktree Capital Group Excluding Consolidated Funds | Maximum | Contingent liability | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Contingent liability, measurement inputs	1.00
Oaktree Capital Group Excluding Consolidated Funds | Weighted Average | Contingent liability | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Contingent liability, measurement inputs	0.24
Consolidated Funds
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Total investments	$ 6,939,504	6,531,385
Consolidated Funds | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Total investments	226,689	325,922
Consolidated Funds | Consumer discretionary | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments	6,203
Consolidated Funds | Consumer discretionary | Recent market information | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments	8,621
Consolidated Funds | Communication services | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments		2,416
Consolidated Funds | Communication services | Recent market information | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments		20,746
Consolidated Funds | Financials | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments	4,393	3,608
Consolidated Funds | Financials | Recent market information | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments	12,023	108,277
Consolidated Funds | Health care | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments	2,012	2,550
Consolidated Funds | Health care | Recent market information | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments	25,321	37,724
Consolidated Funds | Real estate | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments	3,563	4,570
Consolidated Funds | Real estate | Recent market information | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments	15,067	79,562
Consolidated Funds | Other | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments	14,010	17,943
Consolidated Funds | Other | Recent market information | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments	33,494	38,959
Consolidated Funds | Other | Recent transaction price | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments		5,078
Consolidated Funds | Equity Investment | Discounted cash flow | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Equity investments	2,493	2,099
Consolidated Funds | Equity Investment | Recent transaction price | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Equity investments	39,883
Consolidated Funds | Equity Investment | Market approach (comparable companies) | Level III
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Equity investments		$ 2,390
Consolidated Funds | Equity Investment | Market approach (comparable companies) | Level III | Earnings multiple
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Equity investments	$ 2,166
Consolidated Funds | Minimum | Consumer discretionary | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.10
Consolidated Funds | Minimum | Communication services | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs		0.12
Consolidated Funds | Minimum | Financials | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.09	0.09
Consolidated Funds | Minimum | Health care | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.10	0.10
Consolidated Funds | Minimum | Real estate | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.10	0.12
Consolidated Funds | Minimum | Other | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.08	0.08
Consolidated Funds | Minimum | Equity Investment | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Equity investments, measurement inputs	0.10	0.10
Consolidated Funds | Minimum | Equity Investment | Market approach (comparable companies) | Level III | Earnings multiple
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Equity investments, measurement inputs	4	4
Consolidated Funds | Maximum | Consumer discretionary | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.14
Consolidated Funds | Maximum | Communication services | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs		0.14
Consolidated Funds | Maximum | Financials | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.12	0.15
Consolidated Funds | Maximum | Health care | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.17	0.16
Consolidated Funds | Maximum | Real estate | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.12	0.23
Consolidated Funds | Maximum | Other | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.15	0.15
Consolidated Funds | Maximum | Equity Investment | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Equity investments, measurement inputs	0.15	0.30
Consolidated Funds | Maximum | Equity Investment | Market approach (comparable companies) | Level III | Earnings multiple
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Equity investments, measurement inputs	8	10
Consolidated Funds | Weighted Average | Consumer discretionary | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.12
Consolidated Funds | Weighted Average | Communication services | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs		0.13
Consolidated Funds | Weighted Average | Financials | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.11	0.14
Consolidated Funds | Weighted Average | Health care | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.12	0.14
Consolidated Funds | Weighted Average | Real estate | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.11	0.14
Consolidated Funds | Weighted Average | Other | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Credit-oriented investments, measurement inputs	0.13	0.13
Consolidated Funds | Weighted Average | Equity Investment | Discounted cash flow | Level III | Discount rate
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Equity investments, measurement inputs	0.11	0.12
Consolidated Funds | Weighted Average | Equity Investment | Market approach (comparable companies) | Level III | Earnings multiple
Fair Value Measurement Inputs and Valuation Techniques [Line Items]
Equity investments, measurement inputs	6	7