SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

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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. 18)


American Financial Group, Inc.
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(Name of Issuer)


Common Stock, No Par Value
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(Title of Class of Securities)


025932 10 4
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(CUSIP Number)


James C. Kennedy, Esq.
One East Fourth Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 579-2538
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(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)


See Item 5
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(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 [    ]



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     This Amendment No. 18 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" or the "Company"). The principal executive offices of American Financial are located at One East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.

Item 4.     Purpose of Transaction.

     The Reporting Persons consider American Financial Common Stock to be an attractive investment.  In addition, the Reporting Persons may acquire additional shares of Common Stock in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or through the Dividend Reinvestment Plan ("DRIP"). The Company is authorized to purchase up to five million shares of its Common Stock from time to time under a repurchase program adopted by its board of directors.

     Except as set forth in this Item 4, the Reporting Persons presently have no plans or proposals that relate to or would result in any of the actions specified in clauses (a) through (j) of Item 4 of Schedule 13D.

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Item 5.     Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

     As of September 6, 2002, the Lindner Family beneficially owned an aggregate of 25,814,325 shares (or approximately 37.3%) of the outstanding American Financial Common Stock as follows:

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     Not included in the shares set forth in the foregoing table, subsidiaries of American Financial beneficially own 18,666,614 shares of Common Stock and hold an additional 1,361,962 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.

     Within the past 60 days, Carl H. Lindner engaged in the following transaction.

*Shares transferred from the spouse of Carl H. Lindner to a trust for the benefit of her family for which a third party acts as trustee with voting and dispositve power.

     Also, on July 31, 2002, Fred J. Runk, Senior Vice President of American Financial, purchased 100 shares of Common Stock for an aggregate of $2,775.00.

     Except as set forth in this Item 5 and prior amendments to this Schedule 13D, 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.

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Item 7.   Material to be filed as Exhibits.

     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:    September 9, 2002

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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 5^th day of November, 1997.

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     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.

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     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.

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     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.

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     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.

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