Investments - Summary of Gross Unrealized Losses and Fair Values of Ambac's Available-for-Sale Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	$ 509	$ 816
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	8	7
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	18	25
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	526	841
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	8	8
Short-term Investments [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	113	187
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	2	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	116	187
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Fixed Income Investments And Other Investments [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	8	8
Fixed Income Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	396	629
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	8	7
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	15	25
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	411	654
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	8	8
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Municipal Bonds [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	11	25
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	4	6
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	15	31
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	250	543
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	6	6
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	250	543
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	6	6
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Debt Security, Government, Non-US [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	65	3
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	1	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	65	3
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	1	0
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| US Government Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	36	17
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	1	1
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	36	17
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	1	1
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	0	14
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	2	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	2	14
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Collateralized Debt Obligations [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	33	27
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	9	15
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	42	42
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer	0	4
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Unrealized Loss Position	0	4
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Collateral Pledged [Member] \| Fixed Income Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Collateral Pledged [Member] \| Fixed Income Securities [Member] \| Short-term Investments [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale, Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	$ 0	$ 0

Amount, before tax, of unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale).

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Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in continuous unrealized loss position for more than 12 months, without allowance for credit loss. Includes beneficial interest in securitized financial asset.

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Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in continuous unrealized loss position for 12 months or longer, without allowance for credit loss. Includes beneficial interest in securitized financial asset.

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Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in continuous unrealized loss position for less than 12 months, without allowance for credit loss. Includes beneficial interest in securitized financial asset.

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Amount of investment in debt security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income (available-for-sale), in unrealized loss position without allowance for credit loss.

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