Philanthropist Peter Lewis, 80, dies at home

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio (AP) — Peter Lewis, who shepherded Progressive Corp. from a small-time operation to one of the largest auto insurers in the country and later became the billionaire backer of marijuana legalization, died Saturday. He was 80.

Philanthropic adviser Jennifer Frutchy said Lewis died at his home in Coconut Grove, Fla.

Progressive President and CEO Glenn Renwick said the company owes its growth and its culture of openness to Lewis. He said Lewis’ caring and honesty are “bedrock” values of the company.

“The history of Progressive is very much the history that Peter Lewis laid down,” Renwick said. A willingness to take risks and constantly learn and grow are principles that can be traced to Lewis, he added.

“He really was a special person, there’s no doubt about that,” Renwick said.

Lewis became chief executive officer of Progressive in 1965, built from the company his father cofounded in 1937. Lewis held the leadership post for 35 years, during which Progressive — and Lewis’ fortune — steadily grew. In 2006, Forbes calculated his net worth at $1.4 billion.

Lewis turned his wealth into support for a number of progressive causes, including strong support for marijuana law reform that began after he used it following a leg amputation. Lewis helped bankroll marijuana-related causes in Ohio, Washington and Massachusetts.

In a 2011 interview with Forbes Magazine, Lewis said he first tried marijuana at age 39. He said he found it to be “better than scotch” and later relied on it for pain management.

“I don’t believe that laws against things that people do regularly, like safe and responsible use of marijuana, make any sense,” he told Forbes. “Everything that has been done to enforce these laws has had a negative effect, with no results.”

Lewis also spent time as a trustee of the Guggenheim Museum and stepped down in 2005, saying he saying disagreed with the institution’s focus on international expansion. He had been a leading benefactor of the museum, donating tens of millions of dollars.

For a time Lewis largely stopped giving to local Cleveland-area concerns, saying there was little cooperation among civic leaders or public development.