Mercury General Founder George Joseph Dies at 104

04:44 PM EDT, 08/26/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Mercury General (MCY) said Wednesday that founder and longtime chairman George Joseph has died at age 104. Joseph led the insurer from its first policy in 1962, serving as chief executive for 45 years before stepping down in 2006, and remained executive chairman until his passing. The company said Gabriel Tirador, who has been chief executive officer since 2007, has been appointed chairman of the board effective immediately to ensure leadership continuity. Tirador will continue to serve as CEO. Mercury also reaffirmed the Joseph family's ongoing role in ownership and leadership, noting that Victor Joseph, son of the late chairman, is president and chief operating officer and sits on the board, while Vicky Joseph, his wife, assumed ownership of George Joseph's stock and is also a director.