Anbang was established in 2004 as an automotive and property insurer by Chairman Wu Xiaohui, a native of China's entrepreneurial coastal city Wenzhou. The company has been leveraging its 1.65 trillion yuan ($253 billion) in assets to transform into a worldwide investor.

In October 2014, Anbang agreed to pay $1.95 billion for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, a move Wu said brought the insurer "extra brand recognition" and business opportunities. Earlier this month, Anbang agreed to pay Blackstone Group LP ion for Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc, whose 16 luxury properties include the Four Seasons Washington D.C.