INVESTMENT OPERATIONS (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	11 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Successor
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	$ 36,612,808	$ 36,612,808
Gross Unrealized Gains	53,197	53,197
Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,929,180)	(2,929,180)
Fair Value	33,736,825	33,736,825
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		(605)
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as held-to-maturity
Fair Value	515,000	515,000
Unrecognized holding loss	78,300
Amortized Cost, Held-to-maturity
Amortized Cost	593,314	593,314
Fair Value, Held-to-maturity
Fair Value	515,000	515,000
Successor | Fixed maturities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	35,725,810	35,725,810
Gross Unrealized Gains	39,942	39,942
Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,922,703)	(2,922,703)
Fair Value	32,843,049	32,843,049
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		(605)
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as held-to-maturity
Amortized Cost	593,314	593,314
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	(78,314)	(78,314)
Fair Value	515,000	515,000
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Trading securities	2,700,000	2,700,000
Amortized Cost, Available-for-sale
Due in one year or less	937,594	937,594
Due after one year through five years	5,860,269	5,860,269
Due after five years through ten years	7,791,519	7,791,519
Due after ten years	21,136,428	21,136,428
Total	35,725,810	35,725,810
Fair Value, Available-for-sale
Due in one year or less	935,861	935,861
Due after one year through five years	5,725,005	5,725,005
Due after five years through ten years	7,494,182	7,494,182
Due after ten years	18,688,001	18,688,001
Total	32,843,049	32,843,049
Amortized Cost, Held-to-maturity
Due after ten years	593,314	593,314
Amortized Cost	593,314	593,314
Fair Value, Held-to-maturity
Due after ten years	515,000	515,000
Fair Value	515,000	515,000
Successor | Residential mortgage-backed securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	1,773,099	1,773,099
Gross Unrealized Gains	9,286	9,286
Gross Unrealized Losses	(17,112)	(17,112)
Fair Value	1,765,273	1,765,273
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Successor | Commercial mortgage-backed securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	1,327,288	1,327,288
Gross Unrealized Gains	428	428
Gross Unrealized Losses	(41,852)	(41,852)
Fair Value	1,285,864	1,285,864
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Successor | Other asset-backed securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	813,056	813,056
Gross Unrealized Gains	2,758	2,758
Gross Unrealized Losses	(18,763)	(18,763)
Fair Value	797,051	797,051
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Successor | U.S. government-related securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	1,566,260	1,566,260
Gross Unrealized Gains	449	449
Gross Unrealized Losses	(34,532)	(34,532)
Fair Value	1,532,177	1,532,177
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Successor | Other government-related securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	18,483	18,483
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	(743)	(743)
Fair Value	17,740	17,740
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Successor | States, municipals, and political subdivisions
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	1,729,732	1,729,732
Gross Unrealized Gains	682	682
Gross Unrealized Losses	(126,814)	(126,814)
Fair Value	1,603,600	1,603,600
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Successor | Corporate securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	28,433,530	28,433,530
Gross Unrealized Gains	26,147	26,147
Gross Unrealized Losses	(2,681,020)	(2,681,020)
Fair Value	25,778,657	25,778,657
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		(605)
Successor | Preferred Stock
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	64,362	64,362
Gross Unrealized Gains	192	192
Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,867)	(1,867)
Fair Value	62,687	62,687
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Successor | Other
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as held-to-maturity
Amortized Cost	593,314	593,314
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	(78,314)	(78,314)
Fair Value	515,000	515,000
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Fair Value, Held-to-maturity
Fair Value	515,000	515,000
Successor | Equity securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	684,888	684,888
Gross Unrealized Gains	13,255	13,255
Gross Unrealized Losses	(6,477)	(6,477)
Fair Value	691,666	691,666
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as held-to-maturity
Trading securities	8,300	8,300
Successor | Short-term investments
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost	202,110	202,110
Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Value	202,110	202,110
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI		0
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as held-to-maturity
Trading securities	$ 61,700	$ 61,700
Predecessor
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			$ 31,763,413
Gross Unrealized Gains			3,274,304
Gross Unrealized Losses			(213,419)
Fair Value			34,824,298
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			6,309
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as held-to-maturity
Fair Value			485,422
Amortized Cost, Held-to-maturity
Amortized Cost			435,000
Fair Value, Held-to-maturity
Fair Value			485,422
Predecessor | Fixed maturities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			30,898,028
Gross Unrealized Gains			3,238,658
Gross Unrealized Losses			(199,266)
Fair Value			33,937,420
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			6,309
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as held-to-maturity
Amortized Cost			435,000
Gross Unrealized Gains			50,422
Gross Unrealized Losses			0
Fair Value			485,422
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			0
Trading securities			2,800,000
Fair Value, Held-to-maturity
Fair Value			485,422
Predecessor | Residential mortgage-backed securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			1,374,141
Gross Unrealized Gains			56,381
Gross Unrealized Losses			(12,264)
Fair Value			1,418,258
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			6,404
Predecessor | Commercial mortgage-backed securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			1,119,979
Gross Unrealized Gains			59,637
Gross Unrealized Losses			(2,364)
Fair Value			1,177,252
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			0
Predecessor | Other asset-backed securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			857,365
Gross Unrealized Gains			17,961
Gross Unrealized Losses			(35,950)
Fair Value			839,376
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			(95)
Predecessor | U.S. government-related securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			1,394,028
Gross Unrealized Gains			44,149
Gross Unrealized Losses			(9,282)
Fair Value			1,428,895
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			0
Predecessor | Other government-related securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			16,939
Gross Unrealized Gains			3,233
Gross Unrealized Losses			0
Fair Value			20,172
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			0
Predecessor | States, municipals, and political subdivisions
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			1,391,526
Gross Unrealized Gains			296,594
Gross Unrealized Losses			(431)
Fair Value			1,687,689
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			0
Predecessor | Corporate securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			24,744,050
Gross Unrealized Gains			2,760,703
Gross Unrealized Losses			(138,975)
Fair Value			27,365,778
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			0
Predecessor | Other
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as held-to-maturity
Amortized Cost			435,000
Gross Unrealized Gains			50,422
Gross Unrealized Losses			0
Fair Value			485,422
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			0
Fair Value, Held-to-maturity
Fair Value			485,422
Predecessor | Equity securities
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			713,813
Gross Unrealized Gains			35,646
Gross Unrealized Losses			(14,153)
Fair Value			735,306
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			0
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as held-to-maturity
Trading securities			21,500
Predecessor | Short-term investments
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as available-for-sale
Amortized Cost			151,572
Gross Unrealized Gains			0
Gross Unrealized Losses			0
Fair Value			151,572
Total OTTI Recognized in OCI			0
Amortized cost and fair value of the Company's investments classified as held-to-maturity
Trading securities			$ 95,100