After a long battle with cancer, John “Jack” Byrne, the man billionaire Warren Buffett dubbed “the Babe Ruth of insurance” died at his home in Etna, N.H. on March 7. He was 80 years old.
Byrne is widely considered a legend of insurance since the financially stability of three insurers can arguably be traced to him. PropertyCasualty360-National Underwriter named him to a list of 25 Living Legends of Insurance last year. 
Buffett's pride and joy, Geico, wasn't always the auto insurance market leader it is today. In fact, it was on the verge of insolvency when Buffett bought the company in the mid-1970s. After being passed up as president of Travelers, having worked himself up the ladder from his start with the insurer as an actuary, Byrne took the role of CEO at Geico on the advice of colleagues and regulators.
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