AIG Holders Push to Pay Off Loan
By LIAM PLEVEN
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Major shareholders are pursuing an effort to try to help pay off the federal government's loan to American International Group Inc. in time to avoid having Washington take an 80% stake in the company, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Hurdles to these shareholders' efforts could be high, as they and other investors they may attract would have to put up significant sums.
This week, the government agreed to lend AIG up to $85 billion to help it avoid possible bankruptcy, in exchange for a right to take a controlling stake in the giant insurance conglomerate.
The shareholder effort is aimed at trying to make sure the government gets paid back quickly, so that it won't need to take the stake, the person said. That goal could be accomplished not only through asset sales that the company is planning but also possibly through investments in AIG from large investors, such as sovereign wealth funds.
The approach could be more beneficial to existing shareholders than the government deal, because it would inject capital in exchange for the equity. In the government arrangement, the government would get equity in exchange for a loan.
Edward Liddy, named AIG's CEO this week as part of the arrangement with the government, said he had no knowledge of the shareholder effort and had no comment.
AIG shareholders have suffered severely thanks largely to losses linked to the mortgage market. The stock has fallen more than 90 percent this year.
The government's acquisition is subject to shareholder approval, as AIG noted Thursday in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The filing did not disclose when a vote might take place.
On Friday, the stock was up with the broader market. Midday it was trading at $3.32 a share, up 23%.
Write to Liam Pleven at
liam.pleven@wsj.com