Related Party Transactions (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($) numberOfWarrants	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)		Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($) period numberOfWarrants	Sep. 30, 2022 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Annual base management fee percentage					1.50%
Base management fee to affiliate	[1]	$ 4,890	$ 3,950	[2]	$ 14,759	$ 12,206	[2]
Base management fee, gross		5,000	4,400		15,100	13,900
Management Fee Expense, Rebates		100	400		$ 444	1,705	[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					$ 14,400	12,300
Real estate owned	[3],[4]	23,570			23,570			$ 28,403
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[3],[4]	1,502,049			1,502,049			1,459,465
Non-controlling interests	[3]	23,927			23,927			24,919
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	[3]	98,742			98,742			73,819
Reverse repurchase agreements		2,573,043			2,573,043			2,609,685
Other assets	[3]	95,866			95,866			76,791
Unpaid Principal Balance		11,931,175			11,931,175			11,609,077
Related Party Transaction, Purchases from Related Party			2,300		700	7,300
Securities Collateral relating to Reverse Repurchase Agreements		3,200,000			3,200,000			3,200,000
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		224	(81)	[2]	328	(14,867)	[2]
Loans, at fair value	[3],[4]	11,920,872			11,920,872			11,626,008
Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities		(978)	(25,513)	[2]	(3,403)	(54,284)	[2]
Payments to Acquire Equity Method Investments					47,834	15,254
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value	[3]	113,474			113,474			127,046
Realized gains (losses) on securities and loans, net		(17,362)	(33,247)	[2]	(71,518)	(51,272)	[2]
Corporate loan [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		6,659			6,659			4,132
Loans, at fair value		6,623			6,623			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		80,500			80,500			70,200
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	[3]	5,800			5,800			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		2,200			2,200			4,300
Related party trust - Residential Mortgage Loans and REO
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair value of loans held in related party trust		1,500,000			1,500,000			1,500,000
Jepson Holdings Limited
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		600			600			$ 600
LendSure Mortgage Corp [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Earnings (losses) from investments in unconsolidated entities		(400)	$ (6,900)		(3,500)	$ (18,900)
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		185,300			185,300			274,400
Fair Value		7,200			7,200			2,200
Investment in Loan Originator | LendSure Mortgage Corp [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		$ 23,200			23,200			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			8,280,000
Long
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 1,502,049			$ 1,502,049			1,459,465
Warrants | Mortgage Originator
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		10,000			10,000			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		1,200			1,200			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		1,900			1,900			400
Mortgage-related Commercial | Corporate equity securities
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Fair Value		65,300			65,300			68,500
Participation in multi-borrower financing facility
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Outstanding debt of related party		642,700			642,700			872,500
Warehouse facilities - CLO securitizations
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Investment in unconsolidated entities, at fair value		$ 900			$ 900			$ 500

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

[2] Conformed to current period presentation.

[3] 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.

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