Investment in Loans - Reverse Mortgage Loans Summary (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2024	Dec. 31, 2023
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		$ 12,432,144	$ 12,164,019
Loans, at fair value(1)(2)	[1],[2]	$ 12,644,232	$ 12,306,636
Weighted Average
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		4.71%	4.78%
Weighted average life		5 years 6 months 18 days	5 years 5 months 1 day
Reverse mortgage loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		$ 8,742,962	$ 8,568,271
Loans, at fair value(1)(2)		9,182,448	8,938,551
Reverse mortgage loans | Reverse mortgage loans, held for investment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		8,617,701	8,269,285
Loans, at fair value(1)(2)		9,046,698	8,608,976
Reverse mortgage loans | Loans held-for-sale
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance			298,986
Loans, at fair value(1)(2)			329,575
Reverse mortgage loans | Securitized loans [Member] | Reverse mortgage loans, held for investment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		8,297,381	8,166,222
Loans, at fair value(1)(2)		8,710,188	8,506,423
Reverse mortgage loans | Unsecuritized loans | Reverse mortgage loans, held for investment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		109,824	103,063
Loans, at fair value(1)(2)		111,617	$ 102,553
Reverse mortgage loans | Securitized Proprietary Loans | Reverse mortgage loans, held for investment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		172,580
Loans, at fair value(1)(2)		184,853
Reverse mortgage loans | Unsecuritized Proprietary Loans | Reverse mortgage loans, held for investment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		37,916
Loans, at fair value(1)(2)		40,040
Reverse mortgage loans | Unsecuritized Proprietary Loans | Loans held-for-sale
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance		125,261
Loans, at fair value(1)(2)		$ 135,750
Reverse mortgage loans | Weighted Average
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		6.74%	6.96%
Weighted average life		5 years 4 months 9 days	5 years 6 months 14 days
Reverse mortgage loans | Weighted Average | Reverse mortgage loans, held for investment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		6.69%	6.83%
Weighted average life		5 years 2 months 4 days	5 years 1 month 9 days
Reverse mortgage loans | Weighted Average | Loans held-for-sale
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate			10.67%
Weighted average life			16 years 9 months 10 days
Reverse mortgage loans | Weighted Average | Securitized loans [Member] | Reverse mortgage loans, held for investment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		6.59%	6.82%
Weighted average life		5 years 10 days	5 years 1 month 6 days
Reverse mortgage loans | Weighted Average | Unsecuritized loans | Reverse mortgage loans, held for investment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		6.98%	7.15%
Weighted average life		6 years 3 months 18 days	6 years 1 month 13 days
Reverse mortgage loans | Weighted Average | Securitized Proprietary Loans | Reverse mortgage loans, held for investment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		10.44%
Weighted average life		9 years 29 days
Reverse mortgage loans | Weighted Average | Unsecuritized Proprietary Loans | Reverse mortgage loans, held for investment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		10.38%
Weighted average life		17 years 1 month 13 days
Reverse mortgage loans | Weighted Average | Unsecuritized Proprietary Loans | Loans held-for-sale
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Investment Interest Rate		10.64%
Weighted average life		17 years 1 month 13 days

[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.