This is a million-dollar question that, in my critical view, yawns out there for a more scholarly answer; today and tomorrow.
As such, of interest some of the aspects to cover should include:
1. By how much did Gaddafi have to 'assist' African Union (AU)?
2. What exactly prompted the said 'assistance flows between Gaddafi and AU ?
3. How did the very inside of the AU / Gaddafi relations look like with the said streams of assistance; was it symbiotic or parasitic in nature? Any explanation to the effect?
4. What were some of the obvious and or silent objectives that largely motivated the Gaddafi 'assistance to AU and the predictability of it flows?
5. What amount of influence (positive / negative) and magnitudes has the Gaddafi 'assistance had on the political structures, form and future of the AU in general and that of individual member-states in particular?
6. Were such like point of massive financial facilitation a matter based on well established sustainable national essence and plans backgrounds by the Libyan government or simply a personal heart-felt initiative just by Col Gaddafi?
7. How different would things look like with a political landscape as at AU and a number of member-states in the absence of Gaddafi assistance?
etc