G eorge Joseph is a self-made American billionaire and a pioneer in the insurance industry. At over 100 years old, he is one of the oldest billionaires in the world. He is the founder of Mercury General Corporation, a major provider of auto insurance. The son of Lebanese immigrants, he served as a navigator on B-17 bombers during World War II before starting his career in the insurance industry.

He founded Mercury General in 1961 with a focus on providing low-cost auto insurance, particularly to drivers who were considered higher risk by other insurers. He was a pioneer in using data and analytics to more accurately price risk, a strategy that allowed his company to be highly profitable while undercutting its competitors. He has built his company into a multi-billion dollar, publicly traded enterprise. He stepped down from his executive role but remains the chairman and largest shareholder of the company he founded over 60 years ago.