Cost in Excess of Net Assets of Companies Acquired and Intangible Assets, net - Goodwill (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Beginning balance	[1]	$ 2,069,209	$ 2,039,293
Acquisitions		362,051	111,051
Foreign currency translation adjustment		(62,428)	(81,135)
Goodwill, Ending balance	[1]	2,368,832	2,069,209
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss		1,018,780
Global components [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Beginning balance	[1]	1,051,783	1,000,860
Acquisitions		187,977	63,077
Foreign currency translation adjustment		(8,928)	(12,154)
Goodwill, Ending balance	[1]	1,230,832	1,051,783
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss		716,925
Global ECS [Member]
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, Beginning balance	[1]	1,017,426	1,038,433
Acquisitions		174,074	47,974
Foreign currency translation adjustment		(53,500)	(68,981)
Goodwill, Ending balance	[1]	1,138,000	$ 1,017,426
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss		$ 301,855

[1] The total carrying value of cost in excess of net assets of companies acquired for all periods in the table above is reflected net of $1,018,780 of accumulated impairment charges, of which $716,925 was recorded in the global components business segment and $301,855 was recorded in the global ECS business segment.