Billionaire Warren Buffett sought to buy Residential Capital from Ally Financial Inc. before the government-owned company put the home lender into bankruptcy, Bloomberg reported.
Buffett assigned former hedge-fund manager Ted Weschler to negotiate an offer with Ally, said the unnamed sources. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A) would have paid almost nothing upfront for the assets, while taking on potential liabilities.
Ally turned down the proposal, filed for bankruptcy protection and announced a sale to Fortress Investment Group (FIG) and Nationstar Mortgage Holdings Inc. (NSM) for about $2.3 billion. Buffett could still bid on the firm during the bankruptcy process.
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