LINDNER CARL H ET AL
SC 13D/A, 1998-10-13
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               SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                     WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                         --------------

                          SCHEDULE 13D
                         (Rule 13d-101)

     INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN STATEMENTS FILED PURSUANT
  TO 13d-1(a) AND AMENDMENTS THERETO FILED PURSUANT TO 13d-2(a)

                        (Amendment No. 2)


                 American Financial Group, Inc.
       ---------------------------------------------------
                        (Name of Issuer)


                   Common Stock, No Par Value
       ---------------------------------------------------
                 (Title of Class of Securities)
                                
                                
                           025932 10 4
       ---------------------------------------------------
                         (CUSIP Number)
                                
                                
                     James C. Kennedy, Esq.
                     One East Fourth Street
                     Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
                         (513) 579-2538
       ---------------------------------------------------
          (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
        Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)


                           See Item 5
       ---------------------------------------------------
     (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule
13G  to  report  the  acquisition which is the  subject  of  this
Schedule  13D, and is filing this schedule because of  Rule  13d-
1(b)(3) or (4), check the following box [   ].

                       Page 1 of 13 Pages
<PAGE>
CUSIP  NO.  025932 10 4           13D             Page  2  of  13
Pages

1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS

          Carl H. Lindner

2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*    (a) [X]
                                                          (b) [ ]
3    SEC USE ONLY

4    SOURCE OF FUNDS*

5    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
     IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) or 2(e)                [ ]

6    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          United States Citizen

7    NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
     WITH:
     SOLE VOTING POWER

          3,508,541 (See Item 5)

8    SHARED VOTING POWER

          4,578,882

9    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

          3,508,541

10    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

          4,578,882

11    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING
      PERSON

          8,139,241 (See Item 5)

12    CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
      EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*                                [ ]

13    PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

          13.6% (See Item 5)

14    TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

          IN
<PAGE>
CUSIP  NO.  025932 10 4           13D             Page  3  of  13
Pages

1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS

          Carl H. Lindner III

2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*    (a) [X]
                                                          (b) [ ]
3    SEC USE ONLY

4    SOURCE OF FUNDS*

5    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
     IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) or 2(e)                [ ]

6    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          United States Citizen

7    NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
     WITH:
     SOLE VOTING POWER

          4,063,294 (See Item 5)

8    SHARED VOTING POWER

             18,528

9    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

          4,063,294 (See Item 5)

10    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

             18,528

11    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING
      PERSON

          4,486,367 (See Item 5)

12    CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
      EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*                                [ ]

13    PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

          7.5% (See Item 5)

14    TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

          IN
<PAGE>
CUSIP  NO.  025932 10 4           13D             Page  4  of  13
Pages

1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS

          S. Craig Lindner

2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*    (a) [X]
                                                          (b) [ ]
3    SEC USE ONLY

4    SOURCE OF FUNDS*

5    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
     IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) or 2(e)                [ ]

6    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          United States Citizen

7    NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
     WITH:
     SOLE VOTING POWER

          3,883,747 (See Item 5)

8    SHARED VOTING POWER

             68,625

9    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

          3,883,747 (See Item 5)

10    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

             68,625

11    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING
      PERSON

          4,201,644 (See Item 5)

12    CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
      EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*                                [ ]

13    PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

             7.0% (See Item 5)

14    TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

          IN
<PAGE>
CUSIP  NO.  025932 10 4           13D             Page  5  of  13
Pages

1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS

          Keith E. Lindner

2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*    (a) [X]
                                                          (b) [ ]
3    SEC USE ONLY

4    SOURCE OF FUNDS*

5    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
     IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM 2(d) or 2(e)                [ ]

6    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

          United States Citizen

7    NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
     WITH:
     SOLE VOTING POWER

          6,144,268 (See Item 5)

8    SHARED VOTING POWER

                341

9    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

          6, 144,268 (See Item 5)

10    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                 341

11    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING
      PERSON

           6,389,154 (See Item 5)

12    CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
      EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*                                [ ]

13    PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)

          10.7% (See Item 5)

14    TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

          IN
<PAGE>

      This Amendment No. 2 to Schedule 13D is filed on behalf  of
Carl  H.  Lindner  and  his sons Carl H. Lindner  III,  S.  Craig
Lindner  and Keith E. Lindner (collectively the "Lindner  Family"
or   the  "Reporting  Persons").   Items  not  included  in  this
amendment are either not amended or are not applicable.

Item 1.   Security and Issuer.

      This  Statement relates to shares of Common Stock,  no  par
value  per  share ("Common Stock"), of American Financial  Group,
Inc.,  an Ohio corporation ("American Financial").  The principal
executive offices of American Financial are located at  One  East
Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

Item 5.   Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

      As  of  September 30, 1998, the Lindner Family beneficially
owned  an aggregate of 23,216,406 shares (or approximately 38.3%)
of the outstanding American Financial Common Stock as follows:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                      Number        Percent       Ownership
 Holder              of Shares      of Class      Interest (a)

<S>                 <C>            <C>            <C>

Carl H. Lindner      8,139,241 (b)   13.6%           19.7%
Carl H. Lindner III  4,486,367 (c)    7.5%            8.7%
S. Craig Lindner     4,201,644 (d)    7.0%            8.7%
Keith E. Lindner     6,389,154 (e)   10.7%            8.7%

     Total:         23,216,406

</TABLE>

(a)  This  column indicates the ownership percentages for Messrs.
     Carl  H.  Lindner III, S. Craig Lindner and Keith E. Lindner
     (i) before attributing the shares held in various trusts for
     the benefit of the minor children of Carl H. Lindner III and
     S. Craig Lindner (for which Keith E. Lindner acts as trustee
     with  voting  and investment power) to Keith E. Lindner  and
     (ii)   including  all  options,  whether  or  not  currently
     exercisable.

(b)  Includes 4,578,882 shares held by his spouse, 51,818  shares
     which may be acquired within 60 days through the exercise of
     options  granted under the American Financial  Stock  Option
     Plan (the "Option Plan"), and excludes 3,732,448 shares held
     in  trusts,  the  grantor of which is his  spouse,  and  the
     beneficiaries of the trust are Mrs. Lindner and  their  sons
     Carl  H. Lindner III, S. Craig Lindner and Keith E. Lindner,
     but  for which third parties act as trustee with voting  and
     investment power.



                              - 6 -

<PAGE>

(c)  Includes 18,528 shares held by a trust over which his spouse
     has voting and investment power, 404,545 shares which may be
     acquired  within  60  days through the exercise  of  options
     granted  under  the  Option Plan. Does not  include  646,264
     shares  which are held in various trusts for the benefit  of
     his  minor  children  for which Keith  E.  Lindner  acts  as
     trustee with voting and investment power.

(d)  Includes  68,625 shares held by his spouse as custodian  for
     their minor children or in a trust over which his spouse has
     voting and investment power and 249,272 shares which may  be
     acquired  within  60  days through the exercise  of  options
     granted  under  the Option Plan.  Does not  include  775,714
     shares  which are held in various trusts for the benefit  of
     his  minor  children  for which Keith  E.  Lindner  acts  as
     trustee with voting and investment power.

(e)  This  number includes 341 shares held by his spouse, 244,545
     shares  which  may  be acquired within 60 days  through  the
     exercise  of  options  granted under  the  Option  Plan  and
     1,421,978 shares (described in footnotes (c) and (d) above),
     which  are  held  in various trusts for the benefit  of  the
     minor  children of his brothers, Carl H. Lindner III and  S.
     Craig  Lindner over which Keith E. Lindner has  sole  voting
     and investment power but no financial interest.

      In addition to the shares set forth in the foregoing table,
subsidiaries  of American Financial beneficially  own  18,666,614
shares  of American Financial Common Stock and hold an additional
1,367,981   shares   to  satisfy  certain  claims   against   the
predecessor of American Financial.  As a result, these shares are
not  deemed  to  be outstanding for purposes of  determining  the
ownership  percentages  of  the  Lindner  Family,  nor  are   the
Reporting Persons entitled to vote such shares.

      On September 4, 1998, Carl H. Lindner III, S. Craig Lindner
and  Keith  E.  Lindner each exercised options for  5,455  shares
under the Option Plan at $23.7236, $20.9186 and $23.97 per share,
respectively.   On  September  3,  1998,  Carl  H.  Lindner   III
purchased  302 shares in the open market for $34.2297 per  share.
All  of  these  exercises and the purchase were made  with  funds
available for investment.





                              - 7 -

<PAGE>

      Except  as set forth in this Item 5, to the best  knowledge
and belief of the undersigned, no transactions involving American
Financial Common Stock have been effected during the past 60 days
by the Reporting Persons.

Item 6.   Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships 
          with Respect to Securities of the Issuer.

     None.

Item 7.   Material to be filed as Exhibits.

          (1)   Powers  of  Attorney executed in connection  with
          filings  under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,  as
          amended.

          (2)   Agreement required pursuant to Regulation Section
          240.13d-1(f)(1)   promulgated  under   the   Securities
          Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

      After  reasonable  inquiry and to the  best  knowledge  and
belief  of  the  undersigned, it is  hereby  certified  that  the
information  set  forth in this statement is true,  complete  and
correct.

Dated:    October 13, 1998

                            *  Carl H. Lindner
                           ------------------------------------
                               Carl H. Lindner


                            *  Carl H. Lindner III
                           ------------------------------------
                               Carl H. Lindner III


                            *  S. Craig Lindner
                           ------------------------------------
                               S. Craig Lindner


                            *  Keith E. Lindner
                           ------------------------------------
                               Keith E. Lindner


* By:   James C. Kennedy
       ---------------------------
        James C. Kennedy
        Attorney-in-Fact






                              - 8 -
<PAGE>

Exhibit 1



                        POWER OF ATTORNEY
                        -----------------
                                



      I,  Carl H. Lindner, do hereby appoint James C. Kennedy and
Karl J. Grafe, or either of them, as my true and lawful attorneys-
in-fact to sign on my behalf individually and as Chairman of  the
Board  of  Directors  and  Chief Executive  Officer  of  American
Financial  Group, Inc. or as a director or executive  officer  of
any  of  its  subsidiaries and to file with  the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission any schedules or other filings or amendments
thereto made by me or on behalf of American Financial Group, Inc.
or  any  of  its subsidiaries pursuant to Sections 13(d),  13(f),
13(g),  14(d)  and 16(a) of the Securities and  Exchange  Act  of
1934, as amended.

      IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  at
Cincinnati, Ohio as of the 5th day of November, 1997.



                    /s/  Carl H. Lindner
                    -----------------------------------
                         Carl H. Lindner











                              - 9 -

<PAGE>

                        POWER OF ATTORNEY
                        -----------------



      I,  Carl H. Lindner III, do hereby appoint James C. Kennedy
and  Karl  J.  Grafe, or either of them, as my  true  and  lawful
attorneys-in-fact  to sign on my behalf individually  and  as  an
officer  or director of American Financial Group, Inc.  or  as  a
director or executive officer of any of its subsidiaries  and  to
file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any schedules or
other  filings or amendments thereto made by me or on  behalf  of
American  Financial  Group,  Inc.  or  any  of  its  subsidiaries
pursuant to Sections 13(d), 13(f), 13(g), 14(d) and 16(a) of  the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

      IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  at
Cincinnati, Ohio as of the 5th day of November, 1997.



                    /s/  Carl H. Lindner III
                    -----------------------------------------
                         Carl H. Lindner III













                                
                                
                             - 10 -



<PAGE>

                        POWER OF ATTORNEY
                        -----------------
                                



      I, S. Craig Lindner, do hereby appoint James C. Kennedy and
Karl J. Grafe, or either of them, as my true and lawful attorneys-
in-fact  to  sign on my behalf individually and as an officer  or
director  of  American Financial Group, Inc. or as a director  or
executive officer of any of its subsidiaries and to file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission any schedules or other filings
or  amendments  thereto  made by me  or  on  behalf  of  American
Financial  Group,  Inc.  or any of its subsidiaries  pursuant  to
Sections  13(d), 13(f), 13(g), 14(d) and 16(a) of the  Securities
and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

      IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  at
Cincinnati, Ohio as of the 5th day of November, 1997.



                    /s/  S. Craig Lindner
                    -----------------------------------------
                         S. Craig Lindner









                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                             - 11 -




<PAGE>

                        POWER OF ATTORNEY
                        -----------------



      I, Keith E. Lindner, do hereby appoint James C. Kennedy and
Karl J. Grafe, or either of them, as my true and lawful attorneys-
in-fact  to  sign on my behalf individually and as an officer  or
director  of  American Financial Group, Inc. or as a director  or
executive officer of any of its subsidiaries and to file with the
Securities and Exchange Commission any schedules or other filings
or  amendments  thereto  made by me  or  on  behalf  of  American
Financial  Group,  Inc.  or any of its subsidiaries  pursuant  to
Sections  13(d), 13(f), 13(g), 14(d) and 16(a) of the  Securities
and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

      IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  at
Cincinnati, Ohio as of the 5th day of November, 1997.



                    /s/  Keith E. Lindner
                    -----------------------------------------
                         Keith E. Lindner


























                             - 12 -


<PAGE>

Exhibit 2
                            AGREEMENT

      This Agreement executed this 7th day of April, 1995, is  by
and among Carl H. Lindner ("CHL"), Carl H. Lindner III (CHL III),
S.  Craig Lindner ("SCL") and Keith E. Lindner ("KEL"),  each  an
individual,  the  business address of each  is  One  East  Fourth
Street,  Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.  CHL, CHL III, SCL and  KEL  are
referred to herein collectively as the Lindner Family.

      WHEREAS,  as  of  the date of this Agreement,  the  Lindner
Family   beneficially  owns  approximately  49.9%   of   American
Premier's outstanding Common Stock and each member of the Lindner
Family  is  a director and executive officer of American  Premier
and AFC;

     NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that CHL, CHL III, SCL and KEL
do  hereby agree to file jointly with the Securities and Exchange
Commission  any schedules or other filings or amendments  thereto
made  by  or on behalf of any of them pursuant to Section  13(d),
13(f),  13(g), and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of  1934,
as amended.


               /s/ Carl H. Lindner
               ---------------------------------
                   Carl H. Lindner


               /s/ Carl H. Lindner III
               ---------------------------------
                   Carl H. Lindner III


               /s/ S. Craig Lindner
               ---------------------------------
                   S. Craig Lindner


               /s/ Keith E. Lindner
               -------------------------------------
                   Keith E. Lindner






                             - 13 -



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