January 2, 1927
The Spectator, a national insurance magazine, today made public the names of individuals in the United States with life policies valued at over $1 million. Twenty-six Angelenos made the list, including: Gloria Swanson and John Barrymore, with $3 million dollar policies each, Joe Schenck and Norma Talmadge, with $1.25 million in coverage apiece, and Will Rogers, Mary Pickford, and Charlie Chaplin rounding out the Hollywood luminaries on the list.
Owner of Catalina Island and chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr., George, Victor, and Alfred Machris of Wilshire Oil, and department store owner J.G. Bullock also made the list. However, the distinction of most-insured Angeleno goes to producer Jesse Lasky, with a policy valued at $5 million (roughly $60 million USD 2007).
