Contingencies (Engle Progeny Cases and Settlement) (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended									3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) case	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case	Feb. 28, 2015	Oct. 31, 2013 USD ($) case	May 31, 2003 USD ($) plaintiff	Jul. 31, 2000 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2000 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 1999 plaintiff	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) case	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) case	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 07, 2016 USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation settlement and judgment expense (income)										$ 0	$ 4,104		$ (1,944)	$ 5,791
Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs | plaintiff									3
Compensatory damages awarded								$ 12,704
Punitive damages awarded							$ 145,000,000
Number of favorable plaintiff verdicts | plaintiff						1
Damages awarded and subsequently overturned						$ 5,831
Number of unfavorable plaintiff verdicts | plaintiff						2
Liggett
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending | case										2			2
Liggett | Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Punitive damages awarded							$ 790,000
Cases settled | case	20	9	124		4,900					1
Amount of litigation settlement awarded to other party	$ 4,100	$ 1,400	$ 17,650		$ 110,000
Litigation settlement amount paid in lump sum			$ 14,000		61,600
Litigation settlement, installment term				14 years
Litigation settlement and judgment expense (income)					86,213							$ 17,650
Litigation settlement and judgment expense, amount discounted					25,000
Litigation settlement amount paid in installment payments					48,000										$ 3,650
Litigation settlement amount of estimated future payments per annum					$ 3,400
Litigation settlement, interest rate on installment payments due															5.00%
Liggett | Engle Progeny Cases | Annual Discount Rate
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Discount rate					0.11
Liggett | Lukacs, Campbell, Douglas, Clay, Tullo, Ward Rizzuto, Lambert and Buchanan
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Payments for legal settlements													$ 39,773
Liggett and Vector Tobacco | Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases settled | case													184
Amount of litigation settlement awarded to other party													$ 7,600
Cases pending | case										70			70