Business Combinations (Details) - USD ($)				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Dec. 14, 2023	Oct. 03, 2022	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Sep. 30, 2022
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share				$ 0.001	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Bargain purchase gain					$ 28,175,000	$ 7,932,000	$ 0
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)	[1],[2]			$ 1,518,377,000	1,518,377,000	1,459,465,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities, at fair value(1)	[1]			116,414,000	116,414,000	127,046,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross					0	(38,886,000)	0
Equity-based compensation expense					1,358,000	$ 1,495,000	$ 971,000
Longbridge Financial LLC [Member] | Investment in Loan Originator
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Investments in unconsolidated entities, at fair value(1)				$ 38,900,000	$ 38,900,000
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Percentage								49.60%
Unsecured Borrowings | 6.75% Senior Notes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				6.75%	6.75%
Unsecured Borrowings | 6.00% Senior Notes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				6.00%	6.00%
Series B Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage					6.25%
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share				$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Series C Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage					8.625%
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share				$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Arlington Asset Investment Corp.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition		Dec. 14, 2023
Business Acquisition, Date of Acquisition Agreement		May 29, 2023
Payments from Manager to Acquire Businesses, Value per Share		$ 0.09
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares		11,040,704
Bargain purchase gain		$ 28,175,000
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)		645,708,000
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Other		177,302,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross		5,552,000
Equity-based compensation expense		3,900,000
Payments from Manager to Acquire Businesses, Value		$ 2,700,000
Arlington Asset Investment Corp. | Unsecured Borrowings | 6.75% Senior Notes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				6.75%	6.75%
Arlington Asset Investment Corp. | Unsecured Borrowings | 6.00% Senior Notes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage				6.00%	6.00%
Arlington Asset Investment Corp. | Series B Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Share Price		$ 21.17
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares				379,668
Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage				7.00%
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share		0.01
Arlington Asset Investment Corp. | Series C Preferred Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Share Price		$ 24.65
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares		957,133
Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage		8.25%
Preferred Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share		$ 0.01
Arlington Asset Investment Corp. | Common Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Share Price		$ 13.04
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares		10,745,327
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Other		$ 140,119,000
Arlington Asset Investment Corp. | Arlington Equity-Based Awards
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares		1,039,418
Arlington Asset Investment Corp. | Arlington Equity-Based Awards | Common Stock
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares		295,377
Longbridge Financial LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition			Oct. 03, 2022
Bargain purchase gain			$ 7,932,000
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired			49.60%
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Other			$ 77,772,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross			$ 38,886,000
Great Ajax Corp. | Terminated Merger Agreement
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments for Merger Related Costs					$ 5,000,000
Great Ajax Corp. | Terminated Merger Agreement | Corporate equity securities
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Investment Owned, Balance, Shares				1,666,666	1,666,666
Investments, at fair value, Cost				$ 11,000,000	$ 11,000,000
Investment owned - price paid				6.60	6.60
Securities, at fair value(1)(2)				$ 8,800,000	$ 8,800,000

[1] Ellington Financial Inc.'s Consolidated Balance Sheets include assets and liabilities of variable interest entities it has consolidated. See Note 12 for additional details on Ellington Financial Inc.'s consolidated variable interest entities.

[2] Includes assets pledged as collateral to counterparties. See Note 14 for additional details on the Company's borrowings and related collateral.