FYI: What's the most unusual part of the body anyone has ever insured. And how much was it worth?
Have you ever thought of insuring your best asset? Whether it's your bottom, your nose or legs, chances are someone has done it before. America Ferrera, the star of US TV show Ugly Betty, which screens in Hong Kong on TVB Pearl, recently had her smile insured for US$10 million. That's a lot per tooth. Ferrera's on-screen character, Betty Suarez, wears dental braces as part of the frumpy image she has to overcome while working at a snobby New York fashion magazine. A dental-product company that is using the actress for a US charity campaign took out the policy with insurers Lloyd's of London.
The move was nothing unusual for Lloyd's, which is the main supplier of celebrity-asset insurance, having covered everything from Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards' fingers to second world war pin-up Betty Grable's legs. Celebrities sometimes take out policies themselves, though this is often seen as a PR stunt aimed at reviving a flagging career. Such stories are frequently untrue, such as the one that Jennifer Lopez insured her body (that derriere included) for US$1 billion. Mariah Carey reputedly sought similar coverage for her legs. One wine company saw sales rise almost 20 per cent after stories circulated that their wine taster had been insured for a fortune not to be sniffed at.
Insuring body parts has a longer history than you might think. The first person to do so is believed to have been cross-eyed 1920s silent movie star Ben Turpin, who took out a US$20,000 policy against his eyes going straight. In 1934, world yo-yo champion Harvey Lowe had his hands insured by a sponsor company for US$150,000.
Hollywood's famous leading ladies soon upped the stakes. Marlene Dietrich insured her voice for a then staggering US$1 million while Bette Davis insured herself against getting fat.
The trend has grown in recent decades. The Beatles and Michael Jackson have taken out hefty policies, as have supermodels Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer. While pianist Liberace insured his fingers, Bruce Springsteen his trademark gravelly voice and Irish dance star Michael Flatley his legs, singer Dolly Parton opted to insure her breasts - not her voice - for US$600,000.
The underwriters at Lloyd's of London are a surprisingly fun bunch. They have insured British food critic Egon Ronay's tastebuds for GBP400,000 (HK$6.2 million), Australian cricketer Merv Hughes' moustache for GBP200,000 and British male stripper Frankie Jakeman's star attraction for US$1.6 million.