In 1844, there was a public auction of old, sick men in London. These men could no longer afford the premiums on their life insurance policies. Speculators would inspect the men and bid on the right to take over their premiums, become the beneficiary, and collect the proceeds when they died. Bidding was more active on those men who looked very ill. Elizur Wright hated this system because he believed:
It is immoral to have a beneficiary invest in someone's death.
That the men who had been paying premiums, had nothing to show for cash value.
This story is from the February 2023 edition of THE INSURANCE TIMES.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2023 edition of THE INSURANCE TIMES.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber?Sign In