[LEBOEUF, LAMB, GREENE & MACRAE L.L.P. LETTERHEAD]


                                                                    June 3, 2004


MetLife, Inc.
27-01 Queens Plaza North
Long Island City, New York 11101

        Re:  MetLife, Inc.
             $200,000,000 5.50% Senior Notes due 2014
             $400,000,000 6.375% Senior Notes due 2034
             -----------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

     We have acted as special counsel for MetLife, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of an
aggregate of $200,000,000 principal amount of the Company's 5.50% Senior Notes
due 2014 (the "5.50% Senior Notes") and $400,000,000 principal amount of the
Company's 6.375% Senior Notes due 2034 (the "6.375% Senior Notes" and
collectively with 5.50% Senior Notes, the "Securities") pursuant to the
Indenture, dated as of November 9, 2001 (the "Base Indenture"), between the
Company and Bank One Trust Company, N.A., (predecessor to J.P. Morgan Trust
Company, National Association) as trustee (the "Trustee"), (i) as supplemented
by the Seventh Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 3, 2004, between the
Company and the Trustee, pursuant to which indenture, as so supplemented, the
Company is issuing on the date hereof its 5.50% Senior Notes, and (ii) as
supplemented by the Eighth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 3, 2004,
between the Company and the Trustee, pursuant to which indenture, as so
supplemented, the Company is issuing on the date hereof its 6.375% Senior Notes
(such Base Indenture, as so supplemented, the "Indenture").

     In connection therewith, we have examined (a) the Registration Statement on
Form S-3 (Registration Nos. 333-112073, 333-112073-01 and 333-112073-02) (the
"Registration Statement"), filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Act"), (b) the prospectus of the Company dated March 4, 2004, as supplemented
by a prospectus supplement dated May 26, 2004 relating to the Securities, as
filed in final form with the Commission on May 28, 2004, pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Act (the "Final Prospectus") and (c) the Indenture. In addition, we
have examined the originals (or copies certified or otherwise identified to our
satisfaction) of such other agreements, instruments, certificates, documents and
records and have reviewed such questions of law and made such inquiries as we
have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of the opinion rendered
herein.

     In such examination, we have assumed, without inquiry, the legal capacity
of all natural persons, the genuineness of all signatures on all documents
examined by us, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals,
the conformity to the original documents of all such documents submitted to us
as copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We
have also assumed that the books and records of the Company are maintained in
accordance with proper corporate procedures. As to any facts material to our
opinion, we have, when relevant facts were not independently established, relied
upon the aforesaid agreements, instruments, certificates, documents and records
and upon statements and certificates of officers and representatives of the
Company and public officials.

     Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the limitations, qualifications
and assumptions stated herein, we are of the opinion that:

     The Securities have been duly authorized and (assuming their due
authentication by the Trustee) when they have been duly executed, issued and
delivered, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company
entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture.

     The opinion rendered herein are limited to the laws of the State of New
York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the Federal law
of the United States.

     We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Company's
Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 3, 2004, which is incorporated by
reference into the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus and to the
use of our name under the caption "Legal Opinions" contained in the Final
Prospectus. In giving our consent, we do not thereby concede that we come within
the category of persons whose consent is required by the Act or the General
Rules and Regulations promulgated thereunder.



                                      Very truly yours,


                                      /s/ LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, L.L.P.