MetLife, Inc.
Company History
MetLife History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1868 in New York, New York
When was MetLife founded?
MetLife was founded in 1868 in New York, New York by Henry S. Terry and William A. Brewer, making it 158 years old.
- Founded
- 1868
- Founding place
- New York, New York
- Founders
- Henry S. Terry and William A. Brewer
- Headquarters today
- New York, New York
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1868–2026)
- Current CEO
- Michel Khalaf
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1868 | Metropolitan Life Insurance Company named |
| 1879 | Industrial insurance launched |
| 1909 | Visiting nurse service |
| 2000 | Demutualization and NYSE IPO |
| 2005 | Travelers Life & Annuity acquired |
| 2010 | Alico acquired from AIG |
| 2016 | SIFI designation rescinded |
| 2017 | Brighthouse Financial spin-off |
| 2019 | Michel Khalaf becomes CEO |
| 2024 | New Frontier strategy |
| 2025 | PineBridge closes; revenue reaches $77.1B |
| 2026 | Strong first-half 2026 |
- Where was MetLife founded?
- MetLife was founded in New York, New York in 1868.
- Who founded MetLife?
- MetLife was founded by Henry S. Terry and William A. Brewer.
- When did MetLife start?
- MetLife was founded in 1868.
- How old is MetLife?
- MetLife is 158 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Metropolitan Life traces its roots to the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company, formed in 1863 to insure Civil War soldiers. It was renamed Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1868. Early growth was slow until 1879, when under president Joseph F. Knapp it adopted British-style industrial insurance: small policies with premiums of a few cents a week, collected door to door by agents in working-class neighborhoods. That model made MetLife one of the largest US life insurers by the early 20th century.
Founders
Henry S. Terry
Henry S. Terry is listed among the New York businessmen associated with the 1868 reorganization that created Metropolitan Life Insurance Company out of the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company. The company struggled in its first decade; its turnaround came in 1879 when president Joseph F. Knapp introduced weekly-premium industrial insurance. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
William A. Brewer
William A. Brewer is credited in company histories as one of the early organizers of Metropolitan Life in 1868. Public records on his personal role are sparse, so this profile does not attribute specific decisions to him. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company named
The National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company, formed in 1863 to insure Civil War soldiers, is reorganized as Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in New York.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgIndustrial insurance launched
Under president Joseph F. Knapp, MetLife begins selling small weekly-premium industrial policies collected door to door, the model that drove its early growth.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgVisiting nurse service
MetLife starts a visiting nurse program for industrial policyholders, an early public health initiative tied to insurance.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgDemutualization and NYSE IPO
MetLife converts from a policyholder-owned mutual to a stock company, MetLife, Inc., and lists on the New York Stock Exchange.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgTravelers Life & Annuity acquired
MetLife buys Travelers Life & Annuity and most of Citigroup's international insurance businesses for about $11.8B.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAlico acquired from AIG
MetLife buys American Life Insurance Company (Alico) from AIG for about $15.5B in cash and stock, greatly expanding its presence in Japan, Europe and the Middle East.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSIFI designation rescinded
A federal judge rescinds FSOC's 2014 designation of MetLife as a systemically important financial institution; FSOC drops its appeal in 2018.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgBrighthouse Financial spin-off
MetLife completes the separation of most of its US retail life and annuity business as Brighthouse Financial.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMichel Khalaf becomes CEO
Michel Khalaf succeeds Steven Kandarian as President and CEO in May 2019.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNew Frontier strategy
MetLife reports FY2024 revenue of $71.0B and unveils its New Frontier strategy at a December 2024 investor day.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPineBridge closes; revenue reaches $77.1B
MIM closes its acquisition of PineBridge Investments on December 30, 2025. FY2025 revenue reaches $77.1B, PFOs $57.6B, and nearly $4.4B is returned to shareholders.
Source: metlife.comStrong first-half 2026
1Q 2026 net income rises 30% to $1.1B and 2Q 2026 adjusted earnings rise 15% to $1.6B, driven by underwriting and volume growth.
Source: investor.metlife.comMajor Acquisitions
New England Mutual Life Insurance Company
1996Merger of two mutual insurers to add New England Financial's affluent-market distribution.
Travelers Life & Annuity (Citigroup)
2005Added scale in US life insurance and annuities plus Citigroup's international insurance units.
American Life Insurance Company (Alico)
2010Bought from AIG to expand in Japan, Europe and the Middle East.
PineBridge Investments
2025Grow MetLife Investment Management's third-party asset management business and add multi-asset and emerging-market capabilities.
Keep researching MetLife
MetLife Company History FAQ
What are the most significant historical milestones in MetLife's history since 1868?
Key historical milestones include founding in 1868, introducing industrial life insurance in 1879, completing the MetLife Tower in 1909, mutualizing in 1915, financing the Empire State Building in 1931, building Stuyvesant Town in 1947, introducing Snoopy in 1985, demutualizing on the NYSE in 2000, acquiring Alico in 2010, winning its SIFI lawsuit in 2016, and spinning off Brighthouse Financial in 2017.
How did MetLife manage the catastrophic 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic?
During the 1918 influenza epidemic, MetLife paid out over $24 million in death claims across more than 100,000 policyholder deaths in a matter of months. MetLife honored every claim in full without delay, cementing its reputation as an unshakeable financial protector of American families.
What was MetLife's role in financing America's recovery during the Great Depression?
During the Great Depression in the 1930s, when banks collapsed and capital vanished, MetLife invested hundreds of millions in municipal bonds, public utilities, agricultural farm relief, and public works, while maintaining all policyholder guarantees and refusing to default on any financial obligations.
How did MetLife support the American war effort during World War II?
During World War II (1941 to 1945), MetLife invested more than $4.0 billion in US War Bonds (over 50% of its entire asset portfolio), insured millions of active servicemen, and converted company housing and administrative facilities to support wartime mobilization.
What was the landmark demutualization in April 2000 that created MetLife, Inc.?
On April 7, 2000, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company demutualized, converting from a mutual insurer into a publicly traded corporation: MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET). The historic IPO allocated stock and cash to over 11 million policyholders and raised $3.1 billion, unlocking capital for major global acquisitions.
How did MetLife respond to the tragic events of September 11, 2001?
Following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, MetLife paid out hundreds of millions in expedited life insurance death claims to families of victims without requiring standard bureaucratic death certificate documentation, while assisting affected corporate group clients.
When did MetLife acquire the MetLife Building at 200 Park Avenue in New York?
In 1981, MetLife acquired the well-known 59-story Pan Am Building above Grand Central Terminal for $400 million. In 1991, the building was officially renamed the MetLife Building, replacing the Pan Am rooftop signs with the glowing MetLife logo, establishing its global corporate headquarters.
How has MetLife transformed into a 21st-century digital financial services leader?
MetLife evolved from a 19th-century door-to-door industrial insurer into a digital B2B leader: deploying automated claims AI, managing $600B+ in institutional investments, providing benefits to 96 of the Fortune 100, and protecting 100 million people across 40 countries.
How was MetLife originally founded in 1868?
MetLife was chartered on March 24, 1868, in New York City as the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company by a group of New York businessmen led by James R. Dow. It evolved from the National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company, which had insured Civil War soldiers. In 1879, MetLife pioneered "industrial insurance"—modest life insurance policies designed for working-class immigrants and industrial laborers, collected weekly in small 5- and 10-cent premiums by door-to-door agents.
Why did MetLife use Snoopy and Peanuts in its branding for over 30 years?
In 1985, MetLife launched an iconic marketing campaign featuring Charles Schulz's Peanuts characters, particularly Snoopy. Life insurance was historically viewed by consumers as morbid, intimidating, and bureaucratic. Snoopy softened MetLife's image, making the brand approachable, warm, and friendly. In 2016, following its shift toward business-to-business corporate employee benefits, MetLife retired the Peanuts characters to adopt a modern, corporate visual identity.
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