▁a ▁ 2 7 % ▁share ▁of ▁Tra vel ers ▁In sur ance , ▁which ▁had ▁got ten ▁into ▁trouble ▁because ▁of ▁bad ▁real ▁estate ▁invest ments . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁he ▁re ac quired ▁his ▁old ▁She ar son ▁bro ker age ▁( now ▁She ar son ▁Le h man ) ▁from ▁American ▁Express ▁for ▁$ 1 . 2 ▁billion . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁he ▁had ▁completely ▁taken ▁over ▁Tra vel ers ▁Cor p ▁in ▁a ▁$ 4 ▁billion ▁stock ▁deal ▁and ▁officially ▁began ▁calling ▁his ▁corpor ation ▁Tra vel ers ▁Group ▁Inc . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁he ▁added ▁to ▁his ▁hold ings , ▁at ▁a ▁cost ▁of ▁$ 4 ▁billion , ▁the ▁property ▁and ▁cas ual ty ▁operations ▁of ▁A et na ▁Life ▁& ▁Cas ual ty . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁We ill ▁acquired ▁Sal omon ▁Inc ., ▁the ▁parent ▁company ▁of ▁Sal omon ▁Brothers ▁Inc . ▁for ▁over ▁$ 9 ▁billion ▁in ▁stock . ▁ ▁Cit igr oup ▁( 1 9 9 8 - 2 0 0 3 ) ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Tra vel ers ▁Group ▁announced ▁an ▁agreement ▁to ▁undert ake ▁the ▁$ 7 6 ▁billion ▁mer ger ▁between ▁Tra vel ers ▁and ▁Cit ic orp , ▁and ▁the ▁mer ger ▁was ▁completed ▁on ▁October ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁The ▁possibility ▁remained ▁that ▁the ▁mer ger ▁would ▁run ▁into ▁problems ▁connected ▁with ▁federal ▁law