William Robert Berkley

American billionaire businessman (1946–2026)

William Robert Berkley (1946 – June 9, 2026) was an American business executive who was the founder and chairman of W. R. Berkley Corporation, and the chairman of the New York University Board of Trustees.2

From Wikipedia’s article on William Robert Berkley (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born 1946, died Jun 9, 2026.1

Net worth $6.2B (as of 2025, per forbes.com).29 Richest people

About

With a net worth of $6.7 billion, he ranked 239th on the 2025 edition of the Forbes 400.

From Wikipedia’s article on William Robert Berkley, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Holdings

Stock this person has reported owning, from the forms officers and directors file with the SEC. See the biggest insider stakes.

Shares held

As of each latest filing. The line shows shares held over time.

Recent filings

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedStern School of Business3

Berkley grew up in North Jersey, the middle child of three boys. When he was 11 years old, his father was killed in an airplane crash. He started investing in the stock market at age 12 with money he made from lawn mowing.

He graduated from the New York University Stern School of Business with an undergraduate degree in 1966. He received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1968. While at Harvard, he ran a $2 million mutual fund out of an apartment on the Harvard campus with a classmate, Paul Dean.

From Wikipedia’s article on William Robert Berkley (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: business executive.5

In 1967, he founded W. R. Berkley Corporation. In November 1973, when the company became a public company via an initial public offering, he owned 23.8% of the company. In 2015, he left the CEO position to become executive chairman, following which his son Rob Berkley Jr. took over as CEO.

Berkley served as chairman of board at New York University, his alma mater, from 2014.

From Wikipedia’s article on William Robert Berkley (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

Berkley was married to Marjorie, who was his secretary when he founded his company. They had three children. He died on June 9, 2026, at the age of 80.

From Wikipedia’s article on William Robert Berkley (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sources

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    WikidataNet worth