Insurance
Home›Insurance›Industry & Deals›Mercury Insurance founder George Joseph dies at 104
Mercury Insurance founder George Joseph dies at 104
Joseph founded Mercury in 1961 with six employees and 90 agents, and the insurer said direct premiums written reached $5.98 billion in 2025 across 11 states.
George Joseph, the founder of Mercury General Corporation, died August 26 at age 104, Mercury announced the same day, according to Insurance Business.
Joseph built the California-focused insurer on the idea that actuarial discipline and granular data could price risk more fairly than intuition, particularly for customers he said were being overcharged by carriers using blunt rating factors.
He founded Mercury in 1961 with six employees and 90 agents, and the company went public in 1985, expanded beyond California in 1989, listed on the NYSE in 1996, and crossed $1 billion in written premiums in 1997.
Joseph served as CEO for 45 years before stepping down in 2006, remaining executive chairman until his death, and by 2025 direct premiums written were $5.98 billion across 11 states, with California accounting for 82 percent; the Mercury board appointed Gabriel Tirador as chairman effective immediately.