"Through personal experience I discovered that life insurance has other assets in addition to protection of ones present or future family." "When I decided to open my first business, which was a General Motor automobile dealership franchise at the corner of 18th and Cambie, I discovered a Living Benefit of life insurance, that of borrowing collateral." "If it wasn't for the cash values in my life insurance policies, the bank may have decided against granting me the necessary capital to begin my first business endeavour. I am certainly an advocate of life insurance as a vehicle to help a young person take advantage of business opportunities that may present themselves in the future. It happened to me, and if could happen to others. I am grateful for the Living Benefits of life insurance."

"Biggest problem? Well, I’d say it’s been my biggest problem all my life. MONEY. It takes a lot of money to make these dreams come true. From the very start it was a problem. Getting the money to open Disneyland. About seventeen million it took. And we had everything mortgaged including my personal insurance."

Pacific Mutual Life (now Pacific Life) ceremoniously issued its first policy to Leland Stanford, the company’s first president, in 1868. In 1891, Stanford founded Leland Stanford Junior University and shortly after Stanford’s death the University was in major financial crisis, to the point where Jane tried unsuccessfully to sell her treasured jewel collection in 1897. Stanford’s widow, Jane Stanford, cashed Pacific Mutual’s Policy Number 1 for $11,784 proceeds to help fund operations and pay faculty, allowing Stanford University to weather a dangerous six-year period of financial distress.

"But for that money, the doors of Leland Stanford Junior University would have been closed—perhaps forever. Who knows?" - Jane Stanford

Christopher started her career as a home economist and educator. She recognized the need for quality kitchen tools designed to make cooking quicker, easier and more efficient so families could spend less time in the kitchen and more time gathered around the table enjoying conversation and the meal. In 1980, Doris borrowed $3,000 loan against a life insurance policy on her husband, Jay; she founded The Pampered Chef^® in the basement of her suburban Chicago home. In 2002, the company was acquired by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Corporation for $ 1.5 billion. "I teased Doris that diverting those funds for her new business meant she'd only be able to bury half of me." - Jay Christopher

Senator John McCain secured initial campaign financing for his presidential bid by using his life insurance policy as collateral. - from New York Times