Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 371,341	$ 584,581	$ 301,353
Investment securities at fair value	129,641	131,569
Accounts receivable - trade, net	36,959	34,246
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	98,762	90,997
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	44,911	30,828
Total current assets	681,614	872,221
Property, plant and equipment, net	82,160	86,736
Investments in real estate, net	28,317	26,220
Long-term investments (of which $45,781 and $54,628 were carried at fair value)	61,723	66,259
Investments in real estate ventures	131,556	141,105
Operating lease right of use assets	149,578
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	265,993	266,611
Other assets	104,148	90,352
Total assets	1,505,089	1,549,504	1,328,278
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	209,269	256,134
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	4,999	6,635
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	5,138	5,252
Current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	34,116	36,561
Current operating lease liability	18,294	0
Other current liabilities	189,317	180,338
Total current liabilities	461,133	484,920
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	1,397,216	1,386,697
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	24,789
Non-current employee benefits	67,853	61,288
Deferred income taxes, net	33,695	37,411
Non-current operating lease liability	156,963
Other liabilities, including litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	73,245	101,765
Total liabilities	2,190,105	2,096,870
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 0 and 15)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(685,464)	(548,059)
Non-controlling interest	448	693
Total stockholders' deficiency	(685,016)	(547,366)	$ (331,760)	$ (253,272)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,505,089	1,549,504
Long-term investments, fair value	45,781	54,628
Consolidating Adjustments
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Investment securities at fair value	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(44,043)	(38,391)
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	(95)	(1,268)
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(44,138)	(39,659)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments (of which $45,781 and $54,628 were carried at fair value)	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Operating lease right of use assets	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	(658,393)	(683,401)
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(702,531)	(723,060)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	(10,000)	0
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Intercompany payables	(44,043)	(38,391)
Income taxes payable, net	(95)	(1,268)
Current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Current operating lease liability	0
Other current liabilities	(897)	0
Total current liabilities	(55,035)	(39,659)
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	(20,000)	0
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	0	0
Non-current operating lease liability	0
Other liabilities, including litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	(3,147)	0
Total liabilities	(78,182)	(39,659)
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 0 and 15)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(624,349)	(683,401)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(624,349)	(683,401)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	(702,531)	(723,060)
Parent/Issuer | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	272,282	474,880
Investment securities at fair value	129,641	131,569
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	44,043	38,391
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	9,159	1,500
Total current assets	455,125	646,340
Property, plant and equipment, net	425	506
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments (of which $45,781 and $54,628 were carried at fair value)	61,723	66,259
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Operating lease right of use assets	7,085
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	420,353	431,288
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Other assets	15,080	14,616
Total assets	959,791	1,159,009
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	163,932	226,343
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	4,999	6,635
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	2,398	5,257
Current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Current operating lease liability	508
Other current liabilities	52,065	55,915
Total current liabilities	223,902	294,150
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	1,377,108	1,354,219
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		24,789
Non-current employee benefits	50,806	45,615
Deferred income taxes, net	(14,492)	(13,084)
Non-current operating lease liability	7,558
Other liabilities, including litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	373	1,379
Total liabilities	1,645,255	1,707,068
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 0 and 15)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(685,464)	(548,059)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(685,464)	(548,059)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	959,791	1,159,009
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	27,178	23,308
Investment securities at fair value	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	15,646	15,440
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	98,762	90,997
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Other current assets	9,021	7,599
Total current assets	150,607	137,344
Property, plant and equipment, net	33,816	38,562
Investments in real estate, net	0	0
Long-term investments (of which $45,781 and $54,628 were carried at fair value)	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Operating lease right of use assets	4,830
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	238,040	252,113
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	107,511	107,511
Other assets	46,416	38,154
Total assets	581,220	573,684
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	45,210	29,480
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Intercompany payables	236	479
Income taxes payable, net	2,835	1,263
Current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	34,116	36,561
Current operating lease liability	2,015
Other current liabilities	78,947	73,279
Total current liabilities	163,359	141,062
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	20,089	2,349
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		0
Non-current employee benefits	17,047	15,673
Deferred income taxes, net	22,620	17,732
Non-current operating lease liability	3,402
Other liabilities, including litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	41,020	38,179
Total liabilities	267,537	214,995
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 0 and 15)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	313,683	358,689
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	313,683	358,689
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	581,220	573,684
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	71,881	86,393
Investment securities at fair value	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	21,313	18,806
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	95	1,268
Other current assets	26,731	21,729
Total current assets	120,020	128,196
Property, plant and equipment, net	47,919	47,668
Investments in real estate, net	28,317	26,220
Long-term investments (of which $45,781 and $54,628 were carried at fair value)	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	131,556	141,105
Operating lease right of use assets	137,663
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	158,482	159,100
Other assets	42,652	37,582
Total assets	666,609	539,871
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	10,127	311
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Intercompany payables	43,807	37,912
Income taxes payable, net	0	0
Current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Current operating lease liability	15,771
Other current liabilities	59,202	51,144
Total current liabilities	128,907	89,367
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	20,019	30,129
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	25,567	32,763
Non-current operating lease liability	146,003
Other liabilities, including litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	34,999	62,207
Total liabilities	355,495	214,466
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 0 and 15)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	310,666	324,712
Non-controlling interest	448	693
Total stockholders' deficiency	311,114	325,405
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	$ 666,609	$ 539,871