MetLife

MetLife (Metropolitan Life Insurance Company) is the biggest insurer on the US market, with more than $2 trillion worth of life insurance in force.

It was founded by a group of New York businessmen as National Union Life and Limb Insurance Company during the Civil War (in 1863) to provide insurance for soldiers. It’s still focused especially on the US market, but has opened subsidiaries in 14 other countries and continues expansion to reach a goal of 100 million clients in 2010.

It does not only offer insurance, but also banking, fee-based financial planning, retirement planning and wealth management. MetLife has a long term agreement with the owners of Snoopy and other Peanuts characters and is broadly using them in its marketing. It has headquarters in MetLife (ex Pan Am) building, one of the most inconsistent buildings in New York.

Sources:

FundingUniverse, Wikipedia, MetLife