Statements of Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings/ (Accumulated Deficit)	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (loss)	Total Equity
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2015		$ 2,500	$ 901,422	$ 396,830	$ 46,166	$ 1,346,918
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Contributed capital	$ 860,573		8,421,955			8,421,955
Return of capital			(1,140,000)			(1,140,000)
Assets purchased/transferred from/to affiliates			(72,179)			(72,179)
Impact of Pruco Re and PALAC merger			(15,762)			(15,762)
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)	(1,090,088)			(1,090,088)		(1,090,088)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(361,114)				(361,114)	(361,114)
Total comprehensive income (loss)						(1,451,202)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2016		2,500	8,095,436	(693,258)	(314,948)	7,089,730
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Contributed capital	0
Return of capital			(950,000)			(950,000)
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)	(83,504)			(83,504)		(83,504)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	224,824				224,824	224,824
Total comprehensive income (loss)						141,320
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2017		2,500	7,145,436	(776,762)	(90,124)	6,281,050
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Contributed capital	0
Return of capital			(1,025,000)			(1,025,000)
Comprehensive income:
Net income (loss)	1,682,716			1,682,716		1,682,716
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	$ (197,532)				(197,532)	(197,532)
Total comprehensive income (loss)						1,485,184
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2018		$ 2,500	$ 6,120,436	$ 943,005	(324,373)	$ 6,741,568
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect of adoption | ASU 2016-01					(3)
Cumulative effect of adoption | ASU 2018-02					$ (36,714)