Indianapolis Life Investment Management Inc history

1955 Lincoln celebrates the year as the ninth largest life insurance company in the United States.

1973 Oil crisis begins

In 1982, Hilbert acquired his first life insurance company, Executive Income Life Insurance Co., for $1.3 million.

Although the two companies merged to form one holding company late in 1983, internal operations still reflected Hilbert's original concept.

The company then purchased Lincoln American Life Insurance Co. early in 1985 for $25 million.

Satisfied with its recipe for acquiring and improving insurance companies, Conseco stepped up its acquisition efforts in 1986.

In 1987, it added Western National Life Insurance to its portfolio at a cost of $262 million.

Although it increased the value of its holdings to more than $4 billion in 1988, Conseco was able to reduce its workforce by almost ten percent.

After nearly two years since its last acquisition, Hilbert raised $68 million in June 1989 to purchase National Fidelity Life Insurance Co.

To house its expanding staff and operations in Carmel, Conseco built a 40,000-square-foot data processing center in 1990.

A study of the top United States insurers in 1991 showed that only 48 percent of their investments were fixed maturities, whereas over 50 percent were tied up in real estate and other less dependable assets.

Also in 1992, CCP shelled out $600 million to acquire Bankers Life and Casualty Co., one of the nation's largest writers of individual health insurance policies.

In fact, in October 1993 Hilbert formed Conseco Entertainment Inc., a holding company for Conseco's future entertainment investments. It also agreed to commit $5 million in 1993 to Rick Galles Racing, an Indy Car racing team in which Conseco owned a 33 percent share.

In 1995 Conseco formed a new division, Conseco Global Investments, and purchased the remaining shares of CCP. CCP was then merged into Conseco, and Beneficial Standard Life Insurance and Great American Reserve Insurance, both subsidiaries of CCP, became subsidiaries of Conseco.

Though this was significantly lower than his 1997 pay of $119 million, it was enough for Hilbert to retain his reputation as one of the highest-paid CEOs in the nation.

In 1998 Stephen Hilbert received about $69.7 million in compensation.

2002 Lincoln Financial Group acquires the naming rights to the Philadelphia Eagles' new stadium, Lincoln Financial Field.

2005 Lincoln Financial Group celebrates its 100th anniversary Lincoln Financial Group named one of the 100 best companies to work for 19 out of 20 years by Working Mother magazine .

2008 Marking Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, Lincoln Financial Group donates the Lincoln Museum Collection valued at over $20 million to the state of Indiana.