George Joseph

A former World War II B-17 bomber pilot, Joseph was working as a door-to-door insurance salesman when he realized that auto insurance companies were not adequately screening customers. He founded insurer Mercury General Corp. in 1962. Joseph was accused of nepotism in May 2010 for employing his nephew as Chief Actuary of the firm without noting it in Mercury's SEC filings. However, the uncle/nephew relationship does not require disclosure, according to SEC rules. The insurance magnate is currently backing a California ballot measure that would give drivers a "good driver discount;" critics say it would drive up prices for people who haven't been able to afford insurance in the past.