The former head of AIG, Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, has refused to answer questions from regulators looking into improper accounting by the insurance powerhouse, officials present at the meeting said.
The meeting in the offices of New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer lasted about 45 minutes, said the officials, who declined to be named.
Mr Greenberg's attorney David Boies had said in a statement that his client would not answer questions because he needed more time to prepare for the testimony with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Mr Spitzer.
The SEC, Mr Spitzer, the Department of Justice and state insurance regulators had 40 pages of questions for Mr Greenberg relating to an investigation of accounting practices at AIG, the insurance company he headed for nearly 38 years.
The investigators, who are looking into deals dating back as far as 20 years, rejected requests from Mr Greenberg's attorneys to delay the testimony so they could have time to review documents related to the investigation.
Mr Greenberg's appearance before the regulators came a day after billionaire investor Warren Buffett told them about his role in a suspect 2000-2001 deal between the General Re unit of his Berkshire Hathaway and AIG.
At their meeting, Mr Buffett told the officials he had been informed that Greenberg knew about the 2000-2001 deal that investigators are now examining for evidence that it improperly boosted AIG's reserves and was accounted for incorrectly.
Buffett also said he learned Greenberg was "irritated" by criticism that AIG's reserves had begun to fall, said an investigator involved in the meeting.
While Mr Greenberg refused to answer questions about that deal or any other on Tuesday, there is a chance he could be called back at a later date after interviews are conducted with other AIG employees.
Shares of AIG, which have been battered over recent weeks, were up 2.3 percent at $53.32 on the New York Stock Exchange despite the attention surrounding its former chairman and chief executive.
"This is a very substantial company, going through a very difficult period," said Hugh Johnson, chief investment officer of Johnson Illington Advisors, which owns shares of AIG. "In two years, we'll look back on these events and be thankful we had the good sense to remain as shareholders."