Investment Securities (Combined Financial Statements for Unconsolidated Subsidiaries Accounted for on Equity Method) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investment securities at fair value	$ 169,803				$ 175,422				$ 169,803	$ 175,422
Cash and cash equivalents	352,842				371,341				352,842	371,341		$ 584,581
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	207,577				265,993				207,577	265,993
Total assets	1,343,409				1,505,089				1,343,409	1,505,089		1,549,504
Total liabilities	2,003,096				2,190,105				2,003,096	2,190,105
Preferred stock	0				0				0	0
Common stock	15,332				14,808				15,332	14,808
Accumulated deficit	(653,945)				(678,464)				(653,945)	(678,464)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	(659,687)				(685,464)				(659,687)	(685,464)
Non-controlling interest	0				448				0	448
Total stockholders' deficiency	(659,687)				(685,016)				(659,687)	(685,016)		(547,366)		$ (331,760)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,343,409				1,505,089				1,343,409	1,505,089
Total revenues	554,590	$ 547,831	$ 445,760	$ 454,488	439,565	$ 504,790	$ 538,432	$ 420,924	2,002,669	1,903,711		1,870,262
Total cost of sales									1,367,145	1,301,579		1,292,484
Net investment loss	87,333	95,917	66,797	(4,904)	45,581	66,720	76,244	42,590	245,143	231,135		224,049
Net income	32,256	38,139	$ 25,774	$ (3,231)	10,667	36,008	$ 39,307	$ 15,033	92,938	101,015		58,007
Income before provision for income taxes									134,715	133,828		79,559
Indian Creek, Boyar Value and Optika
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Investment securities at fair value	486,390				210,685				486,390	210,685
Cash and cash equivalents	7,126				26,088				7,126	26,088
Other assets	41,004				1,861				41,004	1,861
Total assets	534,520				238,634				534,520	238,634
Other liabilities	230,237				85,623				230,237	85,623
Total liabilities	230,237				85,623				230,237	85,623
Partners’ capital	304,283				153,011				304,283	153,011
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	$ 534,520				238,634				534,520	238,634
Total revenues									1,779	2,834		549
Total cost of sales									9,300	6,756		861
Net investment loss									(7,521)	(3,922)		(312)
Total net realized gain (loss) and net change in unrealized depreciation from investments									123,381	18,822		(5,781)
Net income									$ 115,860	$ 14,900		$ (6,093)
Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		0				251,033					$ 251,033
Receivables from clearing brokers, note receivable and other receivable, net		0				175,600					175,600
Other assets		0				202,516					202,516
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net		0				188,975					188,975
Total assets		0				818,124					818,124
Accrued compensation, commissions and fees payable		0				142,875					142,875
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		0				37,197					37,197
Notes payable, net of $0 and $5,881 unamortized discount in 2020 and 2019, respectively		0				315,898					315,898
Other liabilities		0				73,380					73,380
Total liabilities		0				569,350					569,350
Preferred stock		0				2					2
Common stock		0				15					15
Additional paid-in capital		0				317,735					317,735
Accumulated deficit		0				(68,971)					(68,971)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency		0				248,781					248,781
Non-controlling interest		0				(7)					(7)
Total stockholders' deficiency		0				248,774					248,774
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency		$ 0				$ 818,124					818,124
Total revenues					395,735						1,428,688		$ 1,380,031
Total cost of sales					394,992						1,385,699		1,345,768
Net income					508						31,779		30,858
Income before provision for income taxes					743						42,989		34,263
Change in fair value of contingent consideration					(374)						(363)		(232)
(Loss) income from continuing operations					$ 369						$ 42,626		$ 34,031