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Originally Posted by ItsJustMe Stupid question: What is AIG? |
American International Group, Inc. (AIG) (NYSE: AIG, TYO: 8685, ISEQ: AIN) is a major American insurance corporation based at the American International Building in New York City. The British headquarters are located on Fenchurch Street in London, continental Europe operations are based in La Défense, Paris, and its Asian HQ is in Hong Kong. According to the 2008 Forbes Global 2000 list, AIG was the 18th-largest company in the world. It was on the Dow Jones Industrial Average from April 8, 2004 to September 22, 2008.
On September 16, 2008, as AIG suffered a liquidity crisis following the downgrade of its credit rating, the United States Federal Reserve loaned money to AIG at AIG's request to prevent the company's collapse. The Fed announced the creation of a credit facility of up to US$85 billion in exchange for warrants for a 79.9% equity stake and the right to suspend dividends to previously issued common and preferred stock. AIG announced the same day that its board accepted the terms of the Federal Reserve Bank's rescue package. This was the largest government bailout of a private company in U.S. history, though smaller than the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac a week earlier.