General Motors' first loans came in mid-December of 2008, when Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson stepped in to rescue GM and Chrysler.

On June 1, 2009, GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As part of the restructuring, the U.S. government agreed to provide the company up to $30.1 billion more. In exchange, the U.S. received a 60.8 percent stake in the company when it emerged from bankruptcy protection about a month later. The remainder of GM's equity stake was divided between the Canada and Ontario governments (11.7 percent), the UAW retiree trust (17.5 percent), and bondholders and other creditors (10 percent). On Nov. 16, 2010, General Motors began to sell its shares on the stock exchange.