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Marcia Tierney
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AXA Launches Innovative Family Of Funds
AXA Premier Funds – A Non-Traditional Family Of Funds With A Full Suite Of Share Classes

New York, N.Y. - The AXA Premier Funds - an innovative, comprehensive family of funds, sub-advised by a diverse group of world class investment advisory firms have been launched. Additionally, the AXA Premier VIP Trust - a new trust designed as the vehicle to offer funds similar to those of the AXA Premier Funds in the variable annuity products of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the U.S., a wholly-owned subsidiary of AXA Financial - has been established. The announcement was made by Christopher M. "Kip" Condron, president and CEO of AXA Financial.

The AXA Premier Funds and the AXA Premier VIP Trust were built in a non-traditional way to carefully meet the requirements of each asset class, and offer a unique blend of sub-adviser styles, style consistency and diversification. Rather than applying a single design approach across the entire fund family, money management firms were selected based on optimal investment management features unique to each asset class. This sophisticated design includes a combination of three sub-advisers per equity fund and two on the bond fund. Each fund has a clearly stated objective and investment style, is supported by a rigorous process of sub-adviser selection, and will benefit from the ongoing monitoring of performance, quality of sub-adviser personnel, consistency of style and process.

"The AXA Premier Funds were designed to help investors and their advisors build a better mutual fund portfolio through a sophisticated yet simple solution," stated Mr. Condron. "Our fund design and sub-adviser selection process is similar to that used by institutional investors, and we’ve made it very easy for the individual investor to benefit from it by including a full suite of share classes with an innovative B share."

The AXA Premier Funds will appeal to clients looking to reallocate existing assets, gain exposure to a specific asset class or build a complete portfolio. The funds include the AXA Premier Large Cap Growth Equity; AXA Premier Large Cap Core Equity; AXA Premier Large Cap Value Equity; AXA Premier Small/Mid Cap Growth Equity; AXA Premier Small/Mid Cap Value Equity; AXA Premier International Equity; AXA Premier Technology; AXA Premier Health Care; AXA Premier Core Bond; and AXA Premier Money Market.

The 18 sub-advisers to The AXA Premier Funds and the AXA VIP Portfolios are firms identified as specially qualified within a given asset class including AIM Capital Management, Inc.; Alliance Capital Management L.P., including its Bernstein Investment Research & Management Unit; AXA Rosenberg Investment Management LLC; BlackRock Advisors, Inc.; Bank of Ireland Asset Management Limited; Dresdner RCM Global Investors LLC; The Boston Company Asset Management, LLC; Firsthand Capital Management, Inc.; Janus Capital Corporation; Institutional Capital Corporation (ICAP); MFS Investment Management; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO); RS Investment Management, PL; TCW Investment Management, Inc.; Thornburg Investment Management, Inc.; and Wellington Management Company, LLP.

Financial products sponsored by Equitable are distributed through AXA Distributors, LLC and AXA Advisors, LLC - both wholly-owned subsidiaries of AXA Financial, Inc. AXADistributors is a wholesale broker-dealer and general agent which distributes annuities and life insurance products of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the U.S. and AXA Premier Funds to wirehouses, broker/dealers, financial planners and banks. AXA Advisors is a leading provider of financial products and services for consumers and businesses, working with clients to define and to help them meet their financial goals.

For a prospectus which contains more complete information, such as charges, expenses, and risk considerations, please call (866) 231-8585 or visit the AXA Premier Funds website at www.axapremierfunds.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest or send money.

AXA Financial, with approximately $483 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2000, is one of the world’s premier financial services organizations through its strong brands: The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the U.S., AXA Advisors, LLC, Alliance Capital Management, L.P., Sanford C. Bernstein and its premier wholesale distribution organization, AXA Distributors, LLC. AXA Financial is a member of the global AXA Group, a world wide leader in financial protection and wealth management. AXA’s operations are diverse geographically, with major operations in Western Europe, North America, and the Asia/Pacific region. AXA had $845 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2000 and reported revenues of approximately $74 billion for the full year in 2000. The AXA ordinary share is listed and trades under the symbol AXAon the Paris Stock Exchange. The AXA American Depositary Share is also listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol AXA.