Information Provided in Connection With Outstanding Debt (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Assets:
Short-term investments	$ 30,489,000,000	$ 43,738,000,000
Other investments	381,324,000,000	366,674,000,000
Total investments	411,813,000,000	410,412,000,000
Cash	2,590,000,000	1,558,000,000	2,840,000,000	4,400,000,000
Debt issuance costs, including prepaid commitment asset	474,000,000	4,079,000,000
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	140,328,000,000	159,941,000,000
Assets held for sale	61,593,000,000	107,453,000,000
Total assets	616,798,000,000	683,443,000,000
Liabilities:
Insurance liabilities	282,962,000,000	274,353,000,000
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Commercial Paper Funding Facility		20,985,000,000
Other long-term debt	79,461,000,000	85,476,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	92,020,000,000	91,644,000,000
Liabilities held for sale	57,150,000,000	97,312,000,000
Total liabilities	511,593,000,000	569,770,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Nonvoting, callable, junior preferred interests held by Department of the Treasury	11,465,000,000
Other	111,000,000	434,000,000
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests	11,576,000,000	434,000,000
Total AIG shareholders' equity	92,681,000,000	85,319,000,000
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Nonvoting, callable, junior and senior preferred interests held by Federal Reserve Bank of New York		26,358,000,000
Other	948,000,000	1,562,000,000
Total non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	948,000,000	27,920,000,000
Total equity	93,629,000,000	113,239,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	616,798,000,000	683,443,000,000
American International Group, Inc. (As Guarantor)
Assets:
Short-term investments	8,844,000,000	5,602,000,000
Other investments	7,652,000,000	5,852,000,000
Total investments	16,496,000,000	11,454,000,000
Cash	598,000,000	49,000,000	65,000,000	57,000,000
Loans to subsidiaries	44,058,000,000	61,630,000,000
Debt issuance costs, including prepaid commitment asset	169,000,000	3,838,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	90,624,000,000	93,511,000,000
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	5,416,000,000	7,852,000,000
Total assets	157,361,000,000	178,334,000,000
Liabilities:
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Commercial Paper Funding Facility		20,985,000,000
Other long-term debt	37,874,000,000	40,443,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	12,226,000,000	31,586,000,000
Loans from subsidiaries	14,580,000,000	1,000,000
Total liabilities	64,680,000,000	93,015,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Total AIG shareholders' equity	92,681,000,000	85,319,000,000
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Total equity	92,681,000,000	85,319,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	157,361,000,000	178,334,000,000
Intercompany tax payable	8,200,000,000	28,100,000,000
Intercompany derivative liabilities	496,000,000	150,000,000
SAFG, Inc
Assets:
Cash	1,000,000			2,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	33,477,000,000	33,354,000,000
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	2,749,000,000	2,717,000,000
Total assets	36,227,000,000	36,071,000,000
Liabilities:
Other long-term debt	1,638,000,000	1,637,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	4,120,000,000	4,414,000,000
Loans from subsidiaries	389,000,000	379,000,000
Total liabilities	6,147,000,000	6,430,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Total AIG shareholders' equity	30,080,000,000	29,641,000,000
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Total equity	30,080,000,000	29,641,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	36,227,000,000	36,071,000,000
Intercompany tax receivable	173,000,000	152,000,000
Other Subsidiaries
Assets:
Short-term investments	22,647,000,000	39,907,000,000
Other investments	480,538,000,000	486,494,000,000
Total investments	503,185,000,000	526,401,000,000
Cash	1,991,000,000	1,509,000,000
Loans to subsidiaries	(44,058,000,000)	(61,630,000,000)
Debt issuance costs, including prepaid commitment asset	305,000,000	241,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	2,577,000,000	(6,788,000,000)
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	133,557,000,000	150,157,000,000
Assets held for sale	61,593,000,000	107,453,000,000
Total assets	659,150,000,000	717,343,000,000
Liabilities:
Insurance liabilities	283,207,000,000	274,590,000,000
Other long-term debt	144,882,000,000	167,532,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	81,195,000,000	59,354,000,000
Loans from subsidiaries	(14,969,000,000)	(380,000,000)
Liabilities held for sale	57,150,000,000	97,300,000,000
Total liabilities	551,465,000,000	598,396,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Nonvoting, callable, junior preferred interests held by Department of the Treasury		207,000,000
Other	35,000,000
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests	35,000,000
Total AIG shareholders' equity	107,189,000,000	117,641,000,000
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Other	461,000,000	1,099,000,000
Total non-redeemable noncontrolling interests		1,099,000,000
Total equity	107,650,000,000	118,740,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	659,150,000,000	717,343,000,000
Reclassifications and Eliminations
Assets:
Short-term investments	(1,002,000,000)	(1,771,000,000)
Other investments	(106,866,000,000)	(125,672,000,000)
Total investments	(107,868,000,000)	(127,443,000,000)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(126,678,000,000)	(120,077,000,000)
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	(1,394,000,000)	(785,000,000)
Total assets	(235,940,000,000)	(248,305,000,000)
Liabilities:
Insurance liabilities	(245,000,000)	(237,000,000)
Other long-term debt	(104,933,000,000)	(124,136,000,000)
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	(5,521,000,000)	(3,710,000,000)
Liabilities held for sale		12,000,000
Total liabilities	(110,699,000,000)	(128,071,000,000)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Nonvoting, callable, junior preferred interests held by Department of the Treasury	11,465,000,000	227,000,000
Other	76,000,000
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests	11,541,000,000
Total AIG shareholders' equity	(137,269,000,000)	(147,282,000,000)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Nonvoting, callable, junior and senior preferred interests held by Federal Reserve Bank of New York		26,358,000,000
Other	487,000,000	463,000,000
Total non-redeemable noncontrolling interests		26,821,000,000
Total equity	(136,782,000,000)	(120,461,000,000)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (235,940,000,000)	$ (248,305,000,000)