Related Party Transactions (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2022 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($) period	Jun. 30, 2022 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) numberOfWarrants
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Annual base management fee percentage				1.50%
Base management fee to affiliate	[1]	$ 4,913	$ 3,990	$ 9,869	$ 8,256
Base management fee, gross		5,000	4,600	10,200	9,500
Management Fee Expense, Rebates		100	600	$ 283	1,261	[1]
Incentive fee rate				25.00%
Incentive fee hurdle rate fixed				9.00%
Incentive fee hurdle rate floating				3.00%
Minimum percentage of incentive fee to be paid in share				10.00%
Termination Fee, Number Of Periods | period				2
Termination Fee, Period				12 months
Expense Reimbursement Period				60 days
Expense Reimbursement - Manager				$ 9,000	6,000
Real estate owned	[2],[3]	21,076		21,076			$ 28,403
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[2],[3]	1,500,863		1,500,863			1,459,465
Non-controlling interests	[2]	22,099		22,099			24,919
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[2]	106,514		106,514			73,819
Reverse repurchase agreements		2,557,864		2,557,864			2,609,685
Other assets	[2]	100,853		100,853			76,791
Unpaid Principal Balance		11,780,908		11,780,908			11,609,077
Related Party Transaction, Purchases from Related Party			3,900		5,000
Securities Collateral relating to Reverse Repurchase Agreements		3,200,000		3,200,000			3,200,000
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		83	(7,825)	104	(14,785)
Loans, at fair value	[2],[3]	11,822,695		11,822,695			11,626,008
Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities		(5,868)	(23,265)	(2,424)	(28,771)
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments				44,555	10,294
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value	[2]	118,420		118,420			127,046
Realized gains (losses) on securities and loans, net		(17,388)	(18,830)	(54,155)	(18,025)
Corporate loan [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		6,568		6,568			4,132
Loans, at fair value		6,532		6,532			4,086
Related Party-Consumer Loans Titled in Name of Related Party
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		77,200		77,200			70,200
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	[2]	5,000		5,000			4,100
Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Warehouse facility, monetary amount		$ 5,000		$ 5,000
Interest rate		15.00%		15.00%
Advances made under warehouse facility		$ 0		$ 0			0
Purchasing Entity
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		2,800		2,800			4,300
Related party trust - Residential Mortgage Loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		1,400,000		1,400,000			1,500,000
Jepson Holdings Limited
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		700		700			$ 600
LendSure Mortgage Corp [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities		(1,600)	$ (7,700)	(3,100)	$ (12,100)
Promissory note to equity method investee, effective date November 2022 | Equity Method Investee | Corporate loan [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate							10.00%
Unpaid Principal Balance							$ 50
Loans, at fair value							50
Realized gains (losses) on securities and loans, net				(500)
Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Reverse repurchase agreements		236,600		236,600			274,400
Fair Value		5,500		5,500			2,200
Investment in Loan Originator | LendSure Mortgage Corp [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		23,500		23,500			$ 26,700
Investment in Loan Originator | Loan Originator - Other
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities				(100)
Warrants | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Derivative, Number of Instruments Held | numberOfWarrants							8,280,000
Long
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		1,500,863		1,500,863			$ 1,459,465
Warrants | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		10,200		10,200			11,500
Non-controlling interest of joint venture partner | Unrelated third party joint venture interest | Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-controlling interests		900		900			300
Non-controlling interest of joint venture partner | Related party joint venture interest | Commercial mortgage loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Non-controlling interests		1,400		1,400			400
Mortgage-related Commercial | Corporate equity securities
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair Value		62,600		62,600			68,500
Participation in multi-borrower financing facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Outstanding debt of related party		677,200		677,200			872,500
Warehouse facilities - CLO securitizations
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		$ 400		$ 400			$ 500

[1] See Note 15 for further details on management fee rebates.

[2] Ellington Financial Inc.'s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets include assets and liabilities of variable interest entities it has consolidated. See Note 11 for additional details on Ellington Financial Inc.'s consolidated variable interest entities.

[3] Includes assets pledged as collateral to counterparties. See Note 13 for additional details on the Company's borrowings and related collateral.