What killed AIG?

Written by Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026

American International Group (AIG) was brought to the brink of total collapse during the 2008 global financial crisis primarily due to its unregulated London-based subsidiary, AIG Financial Products, which engaged in massive speculative trading involving credit default swaps (CDS). When the U.S. subprime mortgage market collapsed, AIG faced catastrophic collateral calls and billions of dollars in insurance payout obligations on mortgage-backed securities it had insured. Because the company was deeply intertwined with the global financial system, its failure threatened a complete meltdown of international credit markets, forcing the U.S. federal government to execute a massive emergency bailout to keep the institution solvent.

Related FAQs

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