And CNA, the nation's seventh-largest commercial lines insurer, had been battered with losses from asbestos claims and bad pricing.

FORBES: High On Loews

In his bid for vindication--or revenge--Greenberg is buoyed by the fact that in his last eight years running AIG it averaged a 15% annual return on equity, putting it well ahead of competitors like CNA, Chubb and Travelers, while since his defrocking it has managed only a middle-of-the-pack 13.6%.

FORBES: Is It Vindication or Is It Revenge?