Notes Payable, Long Term Debt and Other Obligations - Textuals (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended				0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012 6.75% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Note Due 2014	Dec. 31, 2011 6.75% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Note Due 2014	May 11, 2009 6.75% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Note Due 2014	Dec. 31, 2012 Variable Interest 3.875% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Variable Interest 3.875% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Variable Interest 6.75% Senior Convertible Exchange Notes 2014 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Variable Interest 6.75% Senior Convertible Exchange Notes 2014 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Variable Interest 7.5% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Variable Interest 7.5% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Apr. 30, 2010 Secured Debt [Member] 11% Senior Secured Notes Due 2015 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2009 Secured Debt [Member] 11% Senior Secured Notes Due 2015 [Member]	Aug. 31, 2007 Secured Debt [Member] 11% Senior Secured Notes Due 2015 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Secured Debt [Member] 11% Senior Secured Notes Due 2015 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Secured Debt [Member] 11% Senior Secured Notes Due 2015 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] debt_series	May 11, 2009 Convertible Debt [Member] 5% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Notes due November 15, 2011 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] 5% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Notes due November 15, 2011 [Member]	Nov. 30, 2009 Convertible Debt [Member] 5% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Notes due November 15, 2011 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2009 Convertible Debt [Member] 5% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Notes due November 15, 2011 [Member]	May 11, 2009 Convertible Debt [Member] 6.75% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Note Due 2014	Dec. 31, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] 6.75% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Note Due 2014	Jul. 31, 2006 Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 3.875% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 3.875% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Jun. 15, 2011 Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 3.875% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 6.75% Senior Convertible Exchange Notes 2014 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 6.75% Senior Convertible Exchange Notes 2014 [Member]	Nov. 30, 2009 Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 6.75% Senior Convertible Exchange Notes 2014 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2009 Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 6.75% Senior Convertible Exchange Notes 2014 [Member]	Nov. 30, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 7.5% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 7.5% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Nov. 30, 2011 Executive Vice President [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Executive Vice President [Member]	May 11, 2009 Executive Vice President [Member] Convertible Debt [Member] 6.75% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Note Due 2014	Nov. 30, 2012 Jefferies & Company Inc. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Vector [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Vector [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Vector [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Vector [Member] Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 3.875% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Vector [Member] Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 3.875% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Feb. 29, 2012 Vector [Member] Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 3.875% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Vector [Member] Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 3.875% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Vector [Member] Convertible Debt [Member] Variable Interest 7.5% Senior Convertible Debentures [Member]	Feb. 21, 2012 Liggett [Member] Line of Credit [Member] Term Loan Under Credit Facility [Member]	Feb. 12, 2013 Subsequent Event [Member] Secured Debt [Member] 11% Senior Secured Notes Due 2015 [Member]	Feb. 13, 2013 Subsequent Event [Member] Secured Debt [Member] 11% Senior Secured Notes Due 2015 [Member]	Feb. 25, 2013 Subsequent Event [Member] Secured Debt [Member] 7.75% Senior Secured Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Effective Interest Rate				6.75%			3.875%		6.75%															6.75%		3.875%		6.75%				7.50%	7.50%											3.875%	7.50%
Embedded Derivative, Fair Value of Embedded Derivative Liability	$ 172,128,000	$ 49,015,000		$ 11,682,000	$ 16,929,000		$ 39,714,000	$ 84,485,000	$ 22,146,000	$ 32,086,000	$ 98,586,000	$ 0																										$ 172,128,000	$ 49,015,000
Interest Rate																	11.00%			5.00%																													7.75%
Face amount						50,000,000											415,000,000																											43,222,000		5,600,000	78,685,000
Proceeds from private placement debt offering													75,000,000	85,000,000	165,000,000	90,000,000							38,225,000
Subsidiary Guarantors, Percentage Ownership	100.00%																100.00%																																100.00%
Principal Amount Of Debt Sold																			11,005,000						110,000,000							230,000,000																	450,000,000
Proceeds from issuance of debt	244,075,000	6,419,000	185,714,000																													218,900,000						230,000,000	0	165,000,000									438,250,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt																																															336,315,000
Debt instrument, premium percentage																					107.00%																										104.292%
Debt Redemption Price as a Percentage of Principal Amount																										100.00%																						103.667%	107.75%
Mandatory Redemption Percent In Event Of Change In Control																																																	101.00%
Maximum Term to Consummate Registered Exchange Offer																																																	360 days
Indenture Threshold for Earnings for Payment of Dividends																																																	75,000,000
Leverage Ratio Requirement																																																	3
Secured Leverage Ratio Requirement																																																	1.5
Number of Outstanding Series of Variable Interest Senior Convertible Debt																		4
Term Before Record Date to Determine Additional Interest																		3 years
Debt Conversion, Original Debt, Interest Rate of Debt																							3.75%					5.75%	3.75%			2.50%
Period for Prior Cash Dividend Paids																								3 months
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Price																								$ 12.37		$ 15.28		$ 14.04				$ 18.50
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Conversion of Convertible Securities																								80.8182		65.4465		71.2364				54.0541
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Conversion Basis Amount																								1,000								1,000,000
Debt Instrument, Percent of Principal																								100.00%								100.00%																	35.00%
Stock Ownership In Company Percentage																																		18.50%	18.50%	11.70%
Principal Amount of Debt Held By Third Party																					555,000	99,944,000								593,000	106,940,000
Mandatory Redemption, Settlement Term, Percent of Principal Redeemed																											10.00%
Debt Conversion, Original Debt, Amount																										11,000,000															24,406,000	31,370,000	2,000
Debt Held By Third Party Who Had 10 Percent Mandatorily Redeemed																										7,000
Debt Conversion, Converted Instrument, Shares Issued																										755,218															1,597,290.45	2,053,065	131
Gains (losses) on exinguishment of debt	(14,960,000)	(1,217,000)	0																							(1,217,000)														0
Debt Conversion, Converted Instrument, Amount																										10,993,000																		55,778,000
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion	(14,960,000)	(1,217,000)	0																																			(14,960,000)	(1,217,000)					14,960,000
Principal Amount That May Be Required To Purchase Next 12 Months Due To Terms Of Debt																										43,222,000
Own-share Lending Arrangement, Shares, Issued																																					6,114,000
Own-share Lending Arrangement, Nominal Lending Fee Per Share																																					$ 0.10
Own-share Lending Arrangement, Shares, Outstanding, Value																																					3,204,000
Own-share Lending Arrangement, Shares Returned																																					3,057,000
Own-share Lending Arrangement, Shares, Outstanding																																					3,057,000
Own-share Lending Arrangement, Amount Amoritized																																					$ 12,000