The world’s most valuable life insurance policy has been taken out by an individual customer of HSBC Life in Hong Kong.
Worth $250 million (£197 million), the whole-of-life protection policy will pay out the record-breaking sum to the anonymous person’s named beneficiary after their death.
The plan is designed to preserve the individual’s wealth for future generations of their family.
The CEO of HSBC Life Hong Kong and Macau, Edward Moncreiffe, said: “Asia is home to the fastest growing ultra-high-net-worth population in the world, and as such we are seeing a substantial increase in demand for insurance solutions to address business succession, estate management and legacy planning needs.
“The issuance of these high-value life insurance policies reaffirms Hong Kong’s position as both a preferred destination for wealth management and a leading international insurance hub.”
The previous record was a $201-million policy facilitated by the advisory firm SG, LLC (USA) in 2014.
And before that, the record was a $100-million policy sold in 1990 by Peter Rosengard, one of Britain’s leading life insurance salesmen, on the life of a well-known US entertainment industry figure.
World’s highest insured body parts
Highest insured dentures
A set of false teeth that belonged to the first president of the United States, George Washington, are insured for $10 million (£7.8 million).
They are currently on display at Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate in Virginia, USA, after being bought by the estate’s owners for $5,500 in 1949.
The dentures are made of elephant ivory, cow teeth and slaves’ teeth, which all sit in a lead base kept in place by two coiled springs.
Washington’s teeth began to fall out before he was 30, and by the time of his first presidential inauguration in 1789, when he was 57, he had only one natural tooth remaining. He had at least four sets of dentures made throughout his life.
Highest insured hair
In 2010, the trademark locks of American footballer Troy Polamalu were insured with Lloyd's of London for $1 million (equivalent to £650,000 at the time) by shampoo brand Head & Shoulders, which Polamalu was a spokesman for.
Polamalu's hair was nearly three feet long at the time of insurance. He had not cut it since 2000 as a tribute to his Samoan ancestors.
Highest insured tongue
Lloyd's reported in 2009 that the tongue of Gennaro Pelliccia, who tastes every single batch of coffee beans made for Costa Coffee’s UK stores, had been insured for £10 million (equivalent then to $14 million).
When asked about the insurance policy, he said: "In my profession, my taste buds are crucial. My 18 years of experience enable me to distinguish between thousands of flavours.”
Highest insured nose
As reported by Lloyd's in 2008, Ilja Gort had his nose insured for €5 million (equivalent then to $7.8 million or £3.9 million). Gort – the owner of the vineyard Chateau de La Garde in Bordeaux, France, and producer of Tulipe Wines – insured his nose to protect his livelihood.
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