Maurice R. Greenberg
The hard-nosed, visionary CEO who transformed AIG from a modest Asian insurer into a globe-straddling financial colossus before its dramatic fall.
Born 1925 (age 101)·American business executive·Birthday: May 4·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Hank Greenberg built an empire with a soldier's discipline and a trader's nerve. After combat in World War II and Korea, he brought a martial intensity to the corporate world, joining the relatively obscure American International Group in 1960. He saw potential where others saw only risk, aggressively expanding AIG into every corner of the globe and into seemingly every form of insurance and financial service. His was a culture of relentless performance, meritocracy, and deep loyalty. Under his nearly four-decade reign, AIG's market value soared, becoming the world's largest insurer. He was a titan on the global stage, advising presidents and shaping policy. Yet, the very complex, risk-embracing financial instruments he championed would later fester within the company. Forced out in 2005 over accounting disputes, he watched from the sidelines as the AIG he built required a historic government bailout in 2008, a catastrophic end to a legendary career of boundless ambition.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Maurice was born in 1925, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Maurice Was Born
The biggest hits of 1925
#1 Movie
The Gold Rush
Maurice's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1925Born
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1930Started school
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1938Became a teenager
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Could drive
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1943Could vote
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Turned 21
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1955Turned 30
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 40
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 50
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 60
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 70
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 80
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2026Age 101 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as CEO of AIG for 38 years, growing it from a mid-sized insurer into the world's largest insurance and financial services corporation.
- Pioneered the concept of selling insurance in emerging markets, particularly in Asia, long before globalization became a standard strategy.
- Successfully lobbied for the U.S.-China trade agreement in 1999, leveraging his unique access and influence in both countries.
- Founded C.V. Starr & Co. after leaving AIG, building a new financial services firm in his later years.
Did You Know?
He earned the nickname 'Hank' during his army service, and it stuck for life.
He is a recipient of the Bronze Star for his service in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He famously kept a bronze statue of a bull on his desk, a gift from the New York Stock Exchange.
He successfully sued the U.S. government over the terms of the AIG bailout, winning a landmark case for shareholders.
“I never thought of myself as a businessman. I thought of myself as someone who built something.”
