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W. R. Berkley Corporation

Property and Casualty InsuranceFounded 1967
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded W. R. Berkley?

William R. Berkley · Founded 1967 · HQ today: Greenwich, Connecticut

Who founded W. R. Berkley?

W. R. Berkley was founded by William R. Berkley in 1967. It is now led by W. Robert Berkley, Jr..

Founders
William R. Berkley
Founded
1967
Headquarters
Greenwich, Connecticut
Number of founders
1
Current CEO
W. Robert Berkley, Jr. (since 2015)
Where was W. R. Berkley founded?
W. R. Berkley was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, United States in 1967.
When was W. R. Berkley founded?
W. R. Berkley was founded in 1967.
Who started W. R. Berkley?
W. R. Berkley was founded by William R. Berkley.
How old is W. R. Berkley?
W. R. Berkley is 59 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

William R. Berkley founded the company in 1967 and led it as chief executive for nearly five decades. W. R. Berkley went public in 1973 and grew into a Fortune 500 commercial insurer organized as a group of specialized underwriting businesses. In 2015 his son, W. Robert Berkley, Jr., became CEO, and William R. Berkley stayed on as executive chairman until his death in June 2026.

William R. Berkley

Co-founder 1967

Background

American insurance executive who founded W. R. Berkley Corporation in 1967. He was a New York University trustee for more than 30 years and chaired its board from 2015 to 2023.

Role at W. R. Berkley Corporation

William R. Berkley founded W. R. Berkley Corporation in 1967 and led it for nearly 50 years, first as CEO and then, from 2015, as executive chairman. He built the company into a Fortune 500 commercial insurer organized around specialized underwriting units. He died on June 9, 2026, at age 80.

William R. Berkley was born in 1946. Education: Stern School of Business.

W. R. Berkley Corporation: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

W. Robert Berkley, Jr.

Chairman, President and CEO

2015 – Present

Leads the company's cycle-management approach. In Q2 2026 that meant growing Insurance segment premiums 5.4% while Reinsurance & Monoline Excess premiums declined, and returning $334.1M to shareholders in the quarter.

William R. Berkley

Founder and Executive Chairman

1967 – 2026

As the legendary Founder (who started the company while studying at Harvard Business School in 1967), he built an absolutely massive, highly profitable specialty insurance empire, famously refusing to compete on price during soft markets.

Compare W. R. Berkley Corporation Leadership With Competitors

W. R. Berkley Corporation vs The Progressive Corporation Leadership →Overview
W. R. Berkley Corporation vs The Travelers Companies, Inc. Leadership →Overview

Keep researching W. R. Berkley

Who Founded W. R. Berkley? FAQ

Who founded W. R. Berkley Corporation?

The company was founded in 1967 by American billionaire financier and insurance entrepreneur William R. Berkley.

How did William R. Berkley start the company at age 21?

While an MBA student at Harvard Business School in 1967, William R. Berkley partnered with a classmate to establish investment management firm Berkley Dean & Company with just $2,500 in capital.

How did William R. Berkley transition into insurance?

Realizing that property and casualty insurers generated enormous investment float that could be invested for compound returns, he acquired Houston General Insurance in 1972 and took W. R. Berkley public in 1973.

What educational philanthropy is William R. Berkley renowned for?

William R. Berkley is a longtime Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New York University (NYU); he attended NYU Stern for undergraduate studies and has donated tens of millions of dollars to endow scholarships and academic centers.

What prestigious honors has William R. Berkley received?

In 1999, William R. Berkley was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans in recognition of his entrepreneurial achievements and civic leadership.

What is William R. Berkley's fundamental investment philosophy?

His core philosophy centers on intellectual honesty, never risking principal for marginal yield, matching assets to liabilities, and understanding that underwriting discipline must always precede investment returns.

What is William R. Berkley's current role at the company?

He serves as Executive Chairman of the Board, actively guiding investment capital allocation, macroeconomic strategy, and executive governance.

How did William R. Berkley's vision shape modern specialty insurance?

He proved that an agile federation of specialized, entrepreneurial underwriting boutiques could consistently outperform bloated, centralized corporate insurance giants across half a century.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.