AIG, originally called American Asiatic Underwriters, was founded in Shanghai in 1919.
Cornelius Vander Starr established the company to sell insurance in Asia, beginning with a focus on accident and general insurance. Shanghai was an important commercial center, making it a strategic location for an international insurance venture during the early twentieth century.
The group later expanded across Asia and other regions, changing its name and corporate structure as its international operations grew. Its modern name, American International Group, reflects that broader global development rather than its original Shanghai-based identity.
People sometimes assume AIG was founded in the United States because of its name and later New York presence. Its origins, however, are overseas, and the company’s early history is closely linked to insurance expansion in Asia.