Exhibit 99.1


Contacts:   For Media:      John Calagna
                            (212) 578-6252

            For Investors:  Kevin Helmintoller
                            (212) 578-5140


           METLIFE BOARD DECLARES DATE FOR ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING

NEW YORK, January 21, 2004 - The board of directors of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET)
today announced that the company will hold its annual shareholders meeting on
April 27, 2004. The board also established March 1, 2004 as the record date for
determining shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting. The meeting will begin
at 10:30 a.m. (ET). It will take place in the auditorium at One Madison Avenue
in New York City.

MetLife, Inc., through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading provider of
insurance and other financial services to individual and institutional
customers. The MetLife companies serve approximately 12 million individuals in
the U.S. and provide benefits to 37 million employees and family members through
their plan sponsors. Outside the U.S., the MetLife companies have insurance
operations in 10 countries serving approximately 8 million customers.

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