UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 125,102	$ 59,223
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues - intellectual property operations	52,829	37,388
Engineering and development expenses - industrial operations	735	626
Sales and marketing expenses - industrial operations	6,908	8,621
General and administrative expenses	43,694	52,680
Total costs and expenses	104,166	99,315
Operating income (loss)	20,936	(40,092)
Equity securities investments:
Change in fair value of equity securities	31,423	(263,695)
(Loss) gain on sale of equity securities	(10,930)	125,318
Earnings on equity investment in joint venture	4,167	42,531
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)	24,660	(95,846)
Change in fair value of the Series A and B warrants and embedded derivatives	8,241	13,102
Gain (loss) on foreign currency exchange	53	(3,324)
Interest expense on Senior Secured Notes	(1,930)	(6,432)
Interest income and other, net	15,466	5,442
Total other income (expense)	46,490	(87,058)
Income (loss) before income taxes	67,426	(127,150)
Income tax benefit	1,504	16,211
Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	68,930	(110,939)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	(1,870)	(14,126)
Net income (loss) attributable to Acacia Research Corporation	67,060	(125,065)
Income (loss) per share:
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders - Basic	$ 55,140	$ (133,035)
Weighted average number of shares outstanding - Basic	75,296,025	42,460,504
Basic net income (loss) per common share (in usd per share)	$ 0.73	$ (3.13)
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders - Diluted	$ 53,208	$ (133,035)
Weighted average number of shares outstanding - Diluted	92,411,818	42,460,504
Diluted net income (loss) per common share (in usd per share)	$ 0.58	$ (3.13)
Intellectual property operations
Revenues:
Total revenues	$ 89,156	$ 19,508
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues - intellectual property operations	34,164	18,029
Industrial operations
Revenues:
Total revenues	35,098	39,715
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues - intellectual property operations	18,009	19,359
Energy operations
Revenues:
Total revenues	848	0
Costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues - intellectual property operations	$ 656	$ 0