Note 21 - Income Taxes (Details) - GAAP Net Income/(Loss) to Taxable Income Reconciliation - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Note 21 - Income Taxes (Details) - GAAP Net Income/(Loss) to Taxable Income Reconciliation [Line Items]
GAAP net income		$ 379,201	$ 77,572	$ 127,000	$ 310,342	$ 52,781	$ 194,708	$ 89,512	$ 87,000	$ 894,115	$ 424,001	$ 236,281
Net book depreciation in excess of tax depreciation										12,861	24,890	32,906
Capitalized leasing/legal commissions										(10,000)	(13,576)
Deferred/prepaid/above and below market rents, net										(33,006)	(17,967)	(11,985)
Fair market value debt amortization										(21,956)	(6,236)	(3,510)
Book/tax differences from investments in real estate joint ventures										27,462	8,614	(11,928)
Book/tax difference on sale of property										(118,287)	(146,173)	36,896
Foreign income tax from capital gains										2,759		(31,130)
Cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment & deferred tax adjustment										20,851	139,976	5,095
Book adjustment to property carrying values and marketable equity securities										7,861	62,817	22,811
Taxable currency exchange loss, net										(44,938)	$ (100,602)	$ (25,958)
Tangible property regulations deduction (b)	[1]									(130,000)
Dividends from taxable REIT subsidiaries										65	$ 67,590	$ 2,980
GAAP change in control gain										(149,407)	(107,235)	9,147
Other book/tax differences, net												229
Adjusted REIT taxable income										454,035	300,667	249,891
GAAP net loss/(income) of taxable REIT subsidiaries [Member]
Note 21 - Income Taxes (Details) - GAAP Net Income/(Loss) to Taxable Income Reconciliation [Line Items]
Less: GAAP net income of taxable REIT subsidiaries										(11,727)	(13,110)	(5,950)
GAAP net income from REIT operations [Member]
Note 21 - Income Taxes (Details) - GAAP Net Income/(Loss) to Taxable Income Reconciliation [Line Items]
GAAP net income	[2]									882,388	410,891	230,331
Other Credit Derivatives [Member]
Note 21 - Income Taxes (Details) - GAAP Net Income/(Loss) to Taxable Income Reconciliation [Line Items]
Other book/tax differences, net										15,262	(16,100)	(3,262)
Restricted Stock [Member]
Note 21 - Income Taxes (Details) - GAAP Net Income/(Loss) to Taxable Income Reconciliation [Line Items]
Sharebased Compensation										(3,094)	(1,078)	(2,247)
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Note 21 - Income Taxes (Details) - GAAP Net Income/(Loss) to Taxable Income Reconciliation [Line Items]
Sharebased Compensation										$ (4,786)	$ (5,144)	$ (255)

[1] In September 2013, the Internal Revenue Service released final Regulations governing when taxpayers like the Company must capitalize and depreciate costs for acquiring, maintaining, repairing and replacing tangible property and when taxpayers can deduct such costs. These Regulations permitted the Company to deduct certain types of expenditures that were previously required to be capitalized. The Regulations also allowed the Company to make a one-time election to immediately deduct certain amounts that were capitalized in previous years that are not required to be capitalized under the new Regulations. The Company elected to take its one-time allowable deduction in 2015, which totaled approximately $85.9 million.

[2] All adjustments to "GAAP net income from REIT operations" are net of amounts attributable to noncontrolling interest and taxable REIT subsidiaries.