Buffett's wrong on cyber insurance risk, Chubb's Greenberg says

Greenberg said cyber risk is insurable and that 'Chubb is a large writer' of the coverage.

Evan Greenberg, chairman and chief executive officer of Chubb Ltd. (Photo: Chubb)

(Bloomberg) – Warren Buffett has at least one critic of his cyber insurance views: Chubb Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Evan Greenberg.

Related: Warren Buffett asks: Does anyone truly know hot to write cyber policies?

Greenberg took issue Thursday when asked about Buffett’s recent comments on the topic. At Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s annual meeting in May, the billionaire said risks tied to cyber coverage are still too tricky to assess accurately.

“I don’t think we or anybody else really knows what they’re doing when writing cyber,” Buffett said. “It is just very, very, very early in the game.” Buffett estimated there was a 2% risk of a $400 billion super catastrophe, and that cyber was one of the contributing factors included in that calculation.

“I don’t agree with that,” Greenberg said Thursday at the S&P Global Ratings insurance conference in New York. “I don’t agree with the statement.”

Greenberg said cyber risk is insurable and that “Chubb is a large writer” of the coverage.

Related:

How to sell the value of cyber liability insurance

Cyber insurance has a sting in the tail