Contingencies (Engle Progeny Cases and Settlements) (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 21, 1996 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) case	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case	Feb. 28, 2015	Oct. 31, 2013 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 07, 2016 USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Amount of litigation settlement awarded to other party	$ 145,000,000
Litigation settlement and judgment expense (income)								$ (1,784)	$ 6,591	$ 20,000
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 (in cases) | case								70
Liggett
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Amount of litigation settlement awarded to other party	$ 790,000
Cases pending (in cases) | case								1
Liggett | Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases settled | case		20	9	124		4,900
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
Claims dismissed (more than) | case						4,900
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
Liggett | Lukacs, Campbell, Douglas, Clay, Tullo, Ward Rizzuto, Lambert and Buchanan
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Payments for legal settlements								$ 39,773
Measurement Input, Discount Rate [Member] | Liggett | Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Discount rate						0.11