| Form N-CSR Cover | 12 Months Ended |
| Nov. 30, 2024 | |
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | |
| Document Type | N-CSR |
| Amendment Flag | false |
| Registrant Name | FAIRHOLME FUNDS INC |
| Entity Central Index Key | 0001096344 |
| Entity Investment Company Type | N-1A |
| Document Period End Date | Nov. 30, 2024 |
| Shareholder Report | 12 Months Ended |
| Nov. 30, 2024 USD ($) Holding | |
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | |
| Document Type | N-CSR |
| Amendment Flag | false |
| Registrant Name | FAIRHOLME FUNDS INC |
| Entity Central Index Key | 0001096344 |
| Entity Investment Company Type | N-1A |
| Document Period End Date | Nov. 30, 2024 |
| C000023273 | |
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | |
| Fund Name | The Fairholme Fund |
| Trading Symbol | FAIRX |
| Annual or Semi-Annual Statement [Text Block] | Annual Shareholder Report |
| Shareholder Report Annual or Semi-Annual | annual shareholder report |
| Additional Information [Text Block] | This annual shareholder report contains important information about The Fairholme Fund (the "Fund") for the period of December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024. You can find additional information about the Fund at www.fairholmefunds.com/prospectus |
| Additional Information Phone Number | (866) 202-2263 |
| Additional Information Website | www.fairholmefunds.com/prospectus</span>" id="sjs-B18"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); display: inline; flex-wrap: nowrap; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 400; grid-area: auto; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left;">www.fairholmefunds.com/prospectus</span> |
| Expenses [Text Block] | What were the Fund's costs for the last year? (based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment) Costs of a $10,000 investment Costs paid as percentage of a $10,000 investment The Fairholme Fund $82 0.80% |
| Expenses Paid, Amount | $ 82 |
| Expense Ratio, Percent | 0.80% |
| Average Annual Return [Table Text Block] | 1 Year 5 years 10 years The Fairholme Fund 4.17% 11.81% 5.99% S&P 500 Index 33.89% 15.77% 13.35% |
| AssetsNet | $ 1,202,463,255 |
| Holdings Count | Holding | 13 |
| Advisory Fees Paid, Amount | $ 10,519,492 |
| InvestmentCompanyPortfolioTurnover | 2.97% |
| Additional Fund Statistics [Text Block] | Fund Statistics Net Assets $1,202,463,255 # of Portfolio Holdings 13 Portfolio Turnover Rate 2.97% Advisory Fees Paid $10,519,492 |
| Holdings [Text Block] | Top Holdings The St. Joe Co. 73.7% Enterprise Products Partners LP 8.5% Energy Transfer LP 1.4% Imperial Metals Corp. 0.7% Federal National Mortgage Association 0.2% Bank OZK 0.2% |
| Material Fund Change [Text Block] | |
| C000082377 | |
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | |
| Fund Name | The Fairholme Focused Income Fund |
| Trading Symbol | FOCIX |
| Annual or Semi-Annual Statement [Text Block] | Annual Shareholder Report |
| Shareholder Report Annual or Semi-Annual | annual shareholder report |
| Additional Information [Text Block] | This annual shareholder report contains important information about The Fairholme Focused Income Fund (the "Fund") for the period of December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024. You can find additional information about the Fund at www.fairholmefunds.com/prospectus |
| Additional Information Phone Number | (866) 202-2263 |
| Additional Information Website | www.fairholmefunds.com/prospectus</span>" id="sjs-B38"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); display: inline; flex-wrap: nowrap; font-size: 13.3333px; font-weight: 400; grid-area: auto; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; text-align: left;">www.fairholmefunds.com/prospectus</span> |
| Expenses [Text Block] | What were the Fund's costs for the last year? (based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment) Costs of a $10,000 investment Costs paid as percentage of a $10,000 investment The Fairholme Focused Income Fund $88 0.80% |
| Expenses Paid, Amount | $ 88 |
| Expense Ratio, Percent | 0.80% |
| Average Annual Return [Table Text Block] | 1 Year 5 years 10 years The Fairholme Focused Income Fund 20.94% 9.20% 6.99% Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index 6.88% - 1.53% |
| AssetsNet | $ 218,894,731 |
| Holdings Count | Holding | 17 |
| Advisory Fees Paid, Amount | $ 1,658,006 |
| InvestmentCompanyPortfolioTurnover | 47.45% |
| Additional Fund Statistics [Text Block] | Fund Statistics Net Assets $218,894,731 # of Portfolio Holdings 17 Portfolio Turnover Rate 47.45% Advisory Fees Paid $1,658,006 |
| Holdings [Text Block] | Top Holdings Enterprise Products Partners LP 32.1% Bank OZK 10.7% W. R. Berkley Corp. 5.5% Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. 2.1% CF Industries Holdings, Inc. 1.6% Liberty Energy, Inc. 0.3% Diamondback Energy, Inc. 0.1% Chevron Corp. 0.1% Occidental Petroleum Corp. 0.1% EOG Resources, Inc. 0.0% |
| Material Fund Change [Text Block] |
| Shareholder Report, Line Graph (Details) - USD ($) | 12 Months Ended | ||||||||||
| Nov. 30, 2024 | Nov. 30, 2014 | Nov. 30, 2023 | Nov. 30, 2022 | Nov. 30, 2021 | Nov. 30, 2020 | Nov. 30, 2019 | Nov. 30, 2018 | Nov. 30, 2017 | Nov. 30, 2016 | Nov. 30, 2015 | |
| C000023273 | |||||||||||
| Account Value [Line Items] | |||||||||||
| Line Graph and Table Measure Name | S&P 500 Index | The Fairholme Fund | |||||||||
| C000082377 | |||||||||||
| Account Value [Line Items] | |||||||||||
| Line Graph and Table Measure Name | Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index | The Fairholme Focused Income Fund | |||||||||
| S&P 500 Index | |||||||||||
| Account Value [Line Items] | |||||||||||
| Account Value | $ 35,002 | $ 10,000 | $ 26,142 | $ 22,964 | $ 25,294 | $ 19,773 | $ 16,834 | $ 14,498 | $ 13,642 | $ 11,103 | $ 10,275 |
| Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index | |||||||||||
| Account Value [Line Items] | |||||||||||
| Account Value | $ 11,634 | $ 10,000 | $ 10,886 | $ 10,759 | $ 12,344 | $ 12,488 | $ 11,640 | $ 10,506 | $ 10,649 | $ 10,317 | $ 10,098 |
| Shareholder Report, Average Annual Return (Details) | 12 Months Ended | 60 Months Ended | 120 Months Ended | |
| Nov. 30, 2024 | Nov. 30, 2014 | Nov. 30, 2024 | Nov. 30, 2024 | |
| C000023273 | ||||
| Average Annual Return [Line Items] | ||||
| Line Graph and Table Measure Name | S&P 500 Index | The Fairholme Fund | ||
| C000082377 | ||||
| Average Annual Return [Line Items] | ||||
| Line Graph and Table Measure Name | Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index | The Fairholme Focused Income Fund | ||
| Without Sales Load [Member] | C000023273 | ||||
| Average Annual Return [Line Items] | ||||
| Average Annual Return, Percent | 4.17% | 11.81% | 5.99% | |
| Without Sales Load [Member] | C000082377 | ||||
| Average Annual Return [Line Items] | ||||
| Average Annual Return, Percent | 20.94% | 9.20% | 6.99% | |
| S&P 500 Index | ||||
| Average Annual Return [Line Items] | ||||
| Average Annual Return, Percent | 33.89% | 15.77% | 13.35% | |
| Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index | ||||
| Average Annual Return [Line Items] | ||||
| Average Annual Return, Percent | 6.88% | (0.01%) | 1.53% | |
| Shareholder Report, Holdings (Details) | Nov. 30, 2024 |
| C000023273 | The St. Joe Co. | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 73.70% |
| C000023273 | Enterprise Products Partners LP | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 8.50% |
| C000023273 | Energy Transfer LP | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 1.40% |
| C000023273 | Imperial Metals Corp. | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 0.70% |
| C000023273 | Federal National Mortgage Association | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 0.20% |
| C000023273 | Bank OZK | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 0.20% |
| C000082377 | Enterprise Products Partners LP | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 32.10% |
| C000082377 | Bank OZK | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 10.70% |
| C000082377 | W. R. Berkley Corp. | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 5.50% |
| C000082377 | Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 2.10% |
| C000082377 | CF Industries Holdings, Inc. | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 1.60% |
| C000082377 | Liberty Energy, Inc. | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 0.30% |
| C000082377 | Diamondback Energy, Inc. | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 0.10% |
| C000082377 | Chevron Corp. | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 0.10% |
| C000082377 | Occidental Petroleum Corp. | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 0.10% |
| C000082377 | EOG Resources, Inc. | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 0% |
