People who work in insurance sometimes get given a hard time by the press, and even by people in other jobs. The profession is not well thought of; when you work in insurance, the general assumption is that you're out to make a quick buck at someone else's expense, and you profit from other people's misery because you're selling policies that protect against death or loss of property. Insurance agents don't mind that you have that view of them, though, and that's because they're making exactly as much money as you suspect they might be!
Working in insurance sales is a numbers business. Agents are typically paid a commission per sale, plus retention bonuses and performance incentives. Excellent communication skills are a must if you're going to persuade people to buy from you, and detailed knowledge of the policies you're selling is also essential. Most states also require you to have a license.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.