A Milestone for AIG

We have a news item in this Sept. 24 issue, on page 8, that marks a milestone for one of the most talked about U.S. corporations in recent times.

For the first time since its $182 billion bailout by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2008, American International Group is no longer majority-owned by Uncle Sam.

One thing many observers appear to agree is that AIG has been able to repay the government faster than was widely expected. Many believed the company would be majority-owned by the government for the foreseeable future.

AIG said on Sept. 14 that the Treasury completed its planned sale of AIG stock and generated some $20.7 billion in the latest round of stock sale. That brings down the U.S. government’s ownership of AIG to 16 percent. Thus far, the government recouped $197.4 billion — the $182.3 billion the Treasury initially invested, plus a cool $15.1 billion profit.

“This offering, Treasury’s largest to date, makes America whole on its investments in AIG plus a profit,” AIG’s CEO Robert Benmosche said in a statement. “The people of AIG never lost faith, kept working, and are grateful for being given the chance to make good on this goal.”

So far, so good. This actually follows a wider pattern. Most firms that got bailed out four years ago during the U.S. financial crisis are successfully paying back the government plus some profit. There are some notable exceptions though. Government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac still owe astronomical sums, and the government’s hope of getting back its money is getting dimmer by the day. GM is still one-third owned by the government. And Ally Financial, formerly known as GMAC, is three-quarters government-owned.

Things are looking rosier for AIG. CEO Benmosche said in June that Chartis will be rebranded later this year under the AIG name once again because the AIG’s image is improving. The company seems more focused, with fewer risks. It’s been consistently profitable during recent quarters.

On the other side, AIG is now smaller than it once was, having sold off many of its assets. And going forward, the company will likely be designated as a “systemically important” financial firm and will be closely monitored and regulated by the government.

On the Insurance Journal website, our readers offered wide-ranging opinions. When the Treasury announced its latest AIG stock sale, some commenters remarked that they understood why the bailout was needed, though some others argued the government’s rescue money gave AIG an advantage over its competitors. “Personally, as much as I…hate the competitive advantage they were given over my company, I believe the correct choice was made (regarding the bailout.),” one reader wrote. “As bad as it has been during the past 4-5 years, it easily could have been much worse.”

Topics USA AIG