Insurance vs the Station Nightclub Fire Without giving my age away entirely, I will admit…I’m a child of the 80s. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen several of my favorite 80s artists perform their greatest hits. It never crossed my mind that something could go wrong during a concert and I might be in danger. But on February 2, 2003, more than 400…

Three years ago, when I started thinking about making a podcast about insurance and history, I had only one topic in mind: slavery. It took three years of reading and researching before I was ready to share it with you, but this episode represents part one of a three-part series about insurance and slavery—an overview of the Atlantic Slave trade an…

For the first episode of Season 3, I’m talking about Enron and the company’s spectacular rise and even more spectacular fall. It’s a story about how creativity can sometimes mean stupidity, how culture impacts a company’s survival, how hiring decisions matter, how ideas mutate, and how companies that put stock price and profits above all else can e…

How can insurance save a company from bankruptcy? How does litigation funding work? Why did a lawsuit about a famous wrestler’s sex tape become a warning to journalists everywhere about the power of Silicon Valley? Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In this episode, I talk about a case called Bollea v Gawker, which involved Hulk Hogan’s s…

Was King Hammurabi’s Code the first written mention of insurance? How did insurance come to be, after all? And how does history change over time? Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In this episode, I talk about King Hammurabi’s Code, often considered to be the first legal code ever written and the first written mention of insurance. But i…

Insurance vs The Mystery of Helen Brach and Horse Insurance Fraud How did the disappearance of a candy heiress result in the discovery of an insurance fraud ring? And were people hiring someone to murder their horses? Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In this episode, I tackle the true crime story of Helen Brach, and how the investigatio…

How has the NRA impacted insurance? And why are insurers being asked to regulate the gun industry? Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In this episode, I try and tackle the NRA’s impact on the insurance industry, as well as discuss a new wrinkle in the discussion of gun safety: asking the insurance industry to take a regulatory role. Sourc…

Is Double Indemnity the best insurance movie ever? Is double indemnity even a real thing? Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In this episode, I discuss the movie Double Indemnity starring Fred McMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, and Edward G Robinson, and the concept of double indemnity in the insurance industry. Sources and Links: Double Indemni…

Murder. Intrigue. And a financial product that bets on the death of people you don’t know. Tontines! Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In this episode, I dig into the rise and fall of the tontine, a unique life insurance product that includes a mortality lottery. How did a financial product build bridges and real estate, fund wars, and e…

When a secretive industry meets an ambitious attorney general, what happens next? Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In this episode, I discuss Eliot Spitzer’s attempt to reform the insurance industry: specifically, the 2004 investigation into the big three insurance brokers and contingent commissions. Sources and Links: Inside Eliot Spit…

Insurance vs The Gambling Act of 1774 Why can’t you take out a life insurance policy on anyone you want? Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In my seventh episode, I talk about the early development of life insurance in England, and how policies were often a lot closer to gambling than to insurance. Join me as I investigate some of the cra…

Insurance vs Larry Silverstein and the World Trade Center Collapse on 9.11 What happens when a terrorist attack becomes a highly litigated claim? Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In my sixth episode, I take a deep dive into the legal wrangling around the property policy covering the World Trade Center. This is a wild ride! Links: 9/11 –…

How did Asbestos almost bring down Lloyds of London? Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In my fifth (and supersized!) episode, I discuss the various reasons why Asbestos and the insurance crisis surrounding Asbestos liability claims in the 1980s nearly brought down the entire Lloyds marketplace. Join me for a deeper dive into General Liab…

Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In my fourth episode, I investigate how insurance saved San Francisco after the Great earthquake—or the Great Fire, depending on who you ask--almost destroyed the city entirely. Join me to learn about mitigating risk through policy wording, the concept of “directly or indirectly”, and why building a city…

Welcome to the Insurance vs History Podcast! In my third episode, I investigate the insurance claims resulting from the sinking of the RMS Titanic, and the issues that arose as a result. Join me for a discussion of crazy 1850s laws, Lloyds of London, the invention of the wireless telegraph and conspiracy theories! Links: HMS Lutine - Lloyd's (lloyd…

Welcome to the Insurance Vs History Podcast! In my second episode, I discover that Coffee had a huge influence on the development of the modern insurance industry. Join me for a discussion of Coffee, Lloyds of London, and early Marine insurance. Links: Edward Lloyd and his Coffee House. (lr.org) Lloyd’s Coffee-House | Mashburn Genealogy Archives En…

Welcome to the Insurance Vs History Podcast! In my first episode, a recent re-watch of the movie Gangs of New York inspires me to ask if insurance inadvertently encouraged gang activity in 19th century New York. In investigating this question I dive into a discussion of the history of firefighting, 19th century fire insurance in England and the Uni…