AIG同意支付9.6億美元與股東和解
AIG agreed to pay $960m to resolve a shareholder lawsuit that had demanded compensation – potentially exceeding $100bn – for the collapse in the insurance group’s value when it was bailed out by the US government in 2008.
美國國際集團(AIG)已同意支付9.6億美元，就一起股東索賠案達成和解。這起訴訟案的索賠金額可能超過1000億美元，索賠的原因是：2008年該公司被美國政府紓困時，股東曾因AIG市值大幅縮水而蒙受損失。The class action suit was filed in 2008, shortly after AIG was rescued by the US Treasury and Federal Reserve as it racked up huge losses on insurance written on plunging mortgage securities.
2008年，就在這一集體訴訟提出之前不久，AIG曾因積累了鉅額虧損而被美國財政部(Treasury) 和美聯儲(Fed)紓困。當時，AIG承保的抵押貸款證券價值一落千丈。
Shareholders led by the state of Michigan claimed they “suffered tens of billions of dollars of losses, at the least, based on false and materially misleading statements that AIG, certain of its executives, directors, underwriters and outside auditor made concerning the company’s financial results, business operations and condition”.
以密歇根州爲首的AIG股東聲稱，他們“因有關AIG的虛假聲明和具有極大誤導性的聲明而蒙受了至少數百億美元的損失。這些圍繞AIG財政業績、業務運營和企業狀況的聲明正是來自AIG某些主管、董事、保險商及外部審計人員”。
AIG paid $960m to avoid the risk that the lawsuit would be successful and the company would be sunk again by bills that it could not pay. During the crisis it was collateral calls from banks such as Goldman Sachs that led to the company’s giant $180bn bailout.
AIG支付9.6億美元，是爲了避免這一訴訟可能會勝訴的風險，那將會導致AIG因爲面臨無法支付的罰單而再次瀕臨破產。金融危機期間，正是來自高盛(Goldman Sachs)這類銀行的追加抵押通知導致AIG不得不接受1800億美元的鉅額紓困。It is one of the biggest payouts of its type. Bank of America, another of the top bailouts of the financial crisis, paid $2.4bn in 2012 to settle a shareholder lawsuit, which argued the company concealed information about the financial health of Merrill Lynch, the securities group it bought in 2008.
在同類支出中，AIG支付的和解金額是規模最大的之一。2012年，曾在金融危機中接受最大規模紓困的另一家銀行美國銀行(Bank of America)曾支付24億美元，就一起股東訴訟案達成和解。當時，美國銀行的股東聲稱，該行在2008年收購證券集團美林證券(Merrill Lynch)時，隱瞞了後者的財政健康狀況信息。“We are pleased to resolve this longstanding dispute,” said AIG. “The resolution of this and other legacy financial crisis related matters better enables us to focus on AIG’s future.”
AIG表示，“我們很高興能解決這一曠日持久的爭端。這個問題及其他金融危機遺留問題相關事務的解決，將令我們能更好地把精力集中於AIG的未來上。”The company has separately reached settlements with a string of banks, which it claimed bore responsibility for the toxic subprime securities which they sold and had insured by AIG.
目前，AIG已另行與一系列銀行達成和解。此前該公司曾聲稱，這些銀行對它們銷售並讓AIG承保的有毒次級證券負有責任。However, not all its legal issues are over. A handful of individual investors, including the Kuwait Investment Authority, have sued the insurer and may choose to pursue their separate litigation.
不過，該公司並不是所有法律問題都已得到解決。包括科威特投資局(Kuwait Investment Authority)在內的幾家個人投資者已向這家保險公司發起訴訟，他們可能會選擇繼續自行訴訟。
