Strange Items People Have Tried to Insure
When most people think about insurance, they picture cars, homes, and maybe some jewelry. Standard stuff that makes sense to protect against theft or damage.
But the insurance world gets way stranger than that, and some of the policies that have been written over the years would make you do a double-take. From celebrity body parts worth millions to protection against alien abduction, people have found ways to insure just about anything you can imagine.
Here is a list of strange items people have actually tried to insure.
Bruce Springsteen’s Voice
The Boss didn’t earn his nickname by taking chances with his career. Back in the 1980s, Springsteen insured his distinctive gravelly voice for $6 million with Lloyd’s of London.
That figure would be worth around $22 million in today’s money, which tells you just how valuable those vocal cords were to his career. When your entire livelihood depends on hitting the right notes, protecting against any damage that could silence you forever starts to make a lot of sense.
Mariah Carey’s Legs
Mariah Carey doesn’t do anything halfway, and her insurance policies are no exception. After winning Gillette’s ‘Legs of a Goddess’ award in 2007, she reportedly insured her legs for a cool $1 billion.
Later, when touring in 2016, she took out additional policies covering both her legs and her voice for $35 million each. For someone who performs in sky-high heels and depends on stage presence as much as vocal ability, protecting the assets that keep fans coming to shows makes business sense.
Kim Kardashian’s Rear End
Kim Kardashian famously ‘broke the internet’ with photos of her curves, so it’s no surprise she decided to protect her most talked-about asset. Following advice from her then-husband Kanye West, she reportedly insured her rear end for $21 million back in 2014.
That would be worth about $28 million today. When your entire brand is built around your appearance and you’re making millions from endorsements, protecting what makes you famous isn’t just vanity—it’s smart business.
Gordon Ramsay’s Taste Buds
A chef who can’t taste his food is like a painter who’s gone blind. That’s why celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay took out a $10 million insurance policy with Lloyd’s of London to protect his tongue and taste buds against disease, injury, and the effects of aging.
His entire empire—from Michelin-starred restaurants to television shows—depends on his ability to distinguish flavors and create exceptional dishes. Without that sense of taste, he’d lose the very foundation of his career.
Keith Richards’ Fingers
The Rolling Stones guitarist has made a fortune with his hands, so naturally, he insured them. Keith Richards took out a policy worth $1.6 million with Lloyd’s of London to protect his guitar-playing fingers.
Some sources claim it was just his middle finger on his left hand, which is apparently crucial for playing certain chord patterns. Either way, those digits have created some of rock music’s most iconic riffs, making them worth protecting.
Troy Polamalu’s Hair
When Head & Shoulders signed Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu as their spokesman, they weren’t messing around. The shampoo company insured his iconic long, curly locks for $1 million, which earned him a Guinness World Record for the highest insured hair.
Polamalu’s flowing mane became part of his signature look on the field, and for Head & Shoulders, that hair represented their entire marketing campaign. If something happened to those curls, they’d lose their visual brand ambassador.
America Ferrera’s Smile
The ‘Ugly Betty’ star got her teeth insured for $10 million when she became the face of Aquafresh toothpaste in 2006. The company was promoting their teeth whitening trays, and Ferrera’s perfect smile was the centerpiece of the entire campaign.
Aquafresh took out the policy to protect their investment, understanding that if anything happened to damage her teeth, they’d lose their spokesperson and the face of their product launch.
Alien Abduction Coverage
Believe it or not, thousands of people have purchased insurance policies protecting them against alien abduction. Over 20,000 Americans currently pay premiums for this coverage, and at least three different insurance agencies sell it.
The St. Lawrence Agency in Florida has been offering it since 1987 and claims to have paid out two claims, both in New York State. Policies typically cost around $150 per month for $1.5 million in coverage, though you’ll need to prove you were actually abducted to collect—good luck with that paperwork.
Wedding Cancellation Insurance
Wedding costs have skyrocketed, with the average American wedding now running about $26,800. That’s a huge chunk of money to lose if someone gets cold feet at the last minute.
Wedding cancellation insurance has evolved from an unusual policy to something fairly mainstream, covering everything from venue deposits to catering costs if the big day gets called off. The catch is that the person who cancels can’t collect—only an ‘innocent party financier’ like the bride or groom’s parents can recover their money.
Multiple Birth Insurance
Having twins or triplets can be a joyful surprise, but it’s also a financial shock when you’ve only budgeted for one baby. Multiple birth insurance, sometimes called ‘twinsurance,’ helps expectant parents offset the additional costs of delivering and raising multiples.
While it’s more popular in the UK than in the United States, the policy acknowledges a simple truth: diapers, formula, and daycare costs multiply fast when you’re buying for two or three instead of one.
Lottery Winner Insurance
Imagine running a business and having your entire staff quit the next day because they won the lottery together. That nightmare scenario actually happened in the UK, where seven office workers each won £6 million and handed in their notices simultaneously.
Now UK employers can purchase insurance protecting against employees quitting after winning the lottery, as long as at least two employees leave within two weeks of winning $150,000 or more each. It sounds ridiculous until you realize the cost of suddenly losing multiple trained employees at once.
Ghost Insurance
Some British hotels and historical sites have purchased legitimate ghost insurance policies to protect against lost revenue if paranormal activity keeps customers away. One famous London pub even has coverage specifically for ghost-related incidents.
After reported ghost sightings on his property, one British hotel owner took out a £1 million policy against death or disability caused by spirits. While most of us would call this a publicity stunt, the policies are real and underwritten by actual insurance companies.
Sports Card Collections
Baseball card collecting has exploded in value, with a Mickey Mantle rookie card in pristine condition selling for over $10 million. Collectors with valuable cards have learned that standard homeowners insurance won’t cut it—those policies typically cap collectibles coverage at $1,500 to $2,000.
Specialized collectibles insurance companies now offer policies specifically for sports memorabilia, covering everything from theft and fire to accidental breakage. These policies recognize cards and memorabilia at their current market value rather than replacement cost, which means you’d actually get paid what your 1952 Topps Mantle is worth.
Wine Collections
Serious wine collectors often have cellars worth more than their cars, and standard home insurance doesn’t properly cover those bottles. Lloyd’s of London and other specialized insurers now offer wine collection insurance covering everything from breakage and theft to flood damage that ruins labels.
Even label damage matters because it can tank a bottle’s value. Dutch winemaker Ilja Gort took this a step further by insuring his nose and sense of smell for 5 million euros, recognizing that without his olfactory system, he’d be out of business.
The Loch Ness Monster Prize
Back in the 1970s, Cutty Sark Whisky ran a promotion offering £1 million to anyone who could capture Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, alive during a specified time period. To protect themselves from actually having to pay out, they took out an insurance policy with Lloyd’s of London covering the prize money.
The policy would pay if someone actually showed up with the legendary creature on a leash. Decades later, the monster remains uncaptured, making this one of the safer bets Lloyd’s ever took.
Falling Satellite Insurance
When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, it created worldwide panic about objects falling from space. Lloyd’s of London actually wrote a policy for $22,000—almost $200,000 in today’s money—protecting against accidental death caused by ‘falling sputnik.’
While there have been no recorded incidents of anyone being injured or killed by falling satellites, the fear was real enough that people were willing to pay premiums. Today, satellite insurance is more about protecting the spacecraft itself than protecting people from space debris.
Game Show Prize Insurance
The popular game show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’ doesn’t actually want you to be a millionaire, which is why they’re insured against contestants winning. The Goshawk Syndicate at Lloyd’s of London underwrites the show’s prize coverage, protecting against the possibility of someone actually making it all the way to the top prize.
This type of prize indemnity insurance is common for contests and promotions, from prizes at golf tournaments to half-court basketball shots. If someone beats the odds and wins big, the insurance company pays out instead of the promoter.
From Oddity to Mainstream
What started as unusual insurance has slowly crept into the mainstream, proving that if something has value to someone, it can be insured. Lloyd’s of London built its reputation over 300 years by taking on risks that traditional insurers wouldn’t touch, from Betty Grable’s million-dollar legs in the 1940s to modern policies covering everything from space exploration to wine collections.
The insurance industry has learned that one person’s ridiculous policy is another person’s essential business protection. As our world continues to evolve and new risks emerge, you can bet the insurance industry will find a way to price them, underwrite them, and collect premiums on them.
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