A UK insurer had agreed to buy US insurer's Asian businesses for $35.5bn (£24.5bn), but it was revolted by an investor with a threat to derail the deal. To thrash out a rescue price for the same, Prudential and AIG were engaged in talks, yesterday.

The eminent people leading the discussions in the US, to meet investors, included, Tidjane Thiam, Chief Executive of Prudential and Robert Benmosche, Chief Executive of AIG. A compromising result, that would be acceptable for the eventual owners of both businesses, the US Treasury and the New York Federal Reserve on one side and Prudential's investors on the other, was tried to be achieved by the advisors there.

When Prudential realized that it was becoming impossible to support a $21bn rights issue needed to fund the takeover, in a vote due to take place on June 7; then last week, consultations began to cut the price of AIA to $30bn-$31bn.

The investors, in order to ensure their registration, will have cast their votes before this weekend, in practice. Now, the deadline is 6pm on Thursday for the votes that were not cast in person, which can make up the overpowering majority in most shareholder votes.

There have been views coming up from the investors, saying that a cost lower than $30 billion and a cut in the rights issue is exactly what will please them. But all this seems quite unrealistic.