<PAGE>
                                                                    EXHIBIT 24.1

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned, being a director of
Delphi Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Robert Rosenkranz and Robert M. Smith, Jr. or either of
them his true and lawful attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s), with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his place and stead in any and
all capacities, to execute one or more Annual Reports for the Company's fiscal
year ended December 31, 2001, on Form 10-K pursuant to the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, or such other form as such attorney(s)-in-fact may deem
necessary or desirable, any amendments thereto, and all additional amendments
thereto in such form as either of them may approve, and to file the same with
all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney(s)-in-fact and
agent(s) full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done to the end that such Annual Report or Annual
Reports shall comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
adopted or issued pursuant thereto, as fully and to all intents and purposes as
he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s) or his substitute or resubstitute, may lawfully
do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set his hand this 31st
day of January, 2002.


                                               /s/  EDWARD A. FOX
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                    Edward A. Fox
                                                    Director
<PAGE>
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned, being a director of
Delphi Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Robert Rosenkranz and Robert M. Smith, Jr. or either of
them his true and lawful attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s), with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his place and stead in any and
all capacities, to execute one or more Annual Reports for the Company's fiscal
year ended December 31, 2001, on Form 10-K pursuant to the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, or such other form as such attorney(s)-in-fact may deem
necessary or desirable, any amendments thereto, and all additional amendments
thereto in such form as either of them may approve, and to file the same with
all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney(s)-in-fact and
agent(s) full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done to the end that such Annual Report or Annual
Reports shall comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
adopted or issued pursuant thereto, as fully and to all intents and purposes as
he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s) or his substitute or resubstitute, may lawfully
do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set his hand this 31st
day of January, 2002.

                                               /s/ CHARLES P. O'BRIEN
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                    Charles P. O'Brien
                                                    Director
<PAGE>
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned, being a director of
Delphi Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Robert Rosenkranz and Robert M. Smith, Jr. or either of
them his true and lawful attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s), with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his place and stead in any and
all capacities, to execute one or more Annual Reports for the Company's fiscal
year ended December 31, 2001, on Form 10-K pursuant to the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, or such other form as such attorney(s)-in-fact may deem
necessary or desirable, any amendments thereto, and all additional amendments
thereto in such form as either of them may approve, and to file the same with
all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney(s)-in-fact and
agent(s) full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done to the end that such Annual Report or Annual
Reports shall comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
adopted or issued pursuant thereto, as fully and to all intents and purposes as
he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s) or his substitute or resubstitute, may lawfully
do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set his hand this 15th
day of February, 2002.

                                               /s/   LEWIS S. RANIERI
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                     Lewis S. Ranieri
                                                     Director
<PAGE>
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned, being a director of
Delphi Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Robert Rosenkranz and Robert M. Smith, Jr. or either of
them his true and lawful attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s), with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his place and stead in any and
all capacities, to execute one or more Annual Reports for the Company's fiscal
year ended December 31, 2001, on Form 10-K pursuant to the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, or such other form as such attorney(s)-in-fact may deem
necessary or desirable, any amendments thereto, and all additional amendments
thereto in such form as either of them may approve, and to file the same with
all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney(s)-in-fact and
agent(s) full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done to the end that such Annual Report or Annual
Reports shall comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
adopted or issued pursuant thereto, as fully and to all intents and purposes as
he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s) or his substitute or resubstitute, may lawfully
do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set his hand this 2nd day
of February, 2002.

                                               /s/  THOMAS L. RHODES
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                    Thomas L. Rhodes
                                                    Director
<PAGE>
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned, being a director of
Delphi Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby
constitutes and appoints Robert Rosenkranz and Robert M. Smith, Jr. or either of
them his true and lawful attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s), with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his place and stead in any and
all capacities, to execute one or more Annual Reports for the Company's fiscal
year ended December 31, 2001, on Form 10-K pursuant to the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, or such other form as such attorney(s)-in-fact may deem
necessary or desirable, any amendments thereto, and all additional amendments
thereto in such form as either of them may approve, and to file the same with
all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney(s)-in-fact and
agent(s) full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and necessary to be done to the end that such Annual Report or Annual
Reports shall comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
adopted or issued pursuant thereto, as fully and to all intents and purposes as
he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s) or his substitute or resubstitute, may lawfully
do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set his hand this 30th
day of January, 2002.

                                               /s/  B.K. WERNER
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                    B.K. Werner
                                                    Director
<PAGE>
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

      KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned, being the principal
financial officer and principal accounting officer of Delphi Financial Group,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), hereby constitutes and appoints
Robert Rosenkranz and Robert M. Smith, Jr. or either of them his true and lawful
attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s), with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, for him and in his place and stead in any and all capacities, to
execute one or more Annual Reports for the Company's fiscal year ended December
31, 2001, on Form 10-K pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, or such other form as such attorney(s)-in-fact may deem necessary or
desirable, any amendments thereto, and all additional amendments thereto in such
form as either of them may approve, and to file the same with all exhibits
thereto and other documents in connection therewith with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s) full
power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done to the end that such Annual Report or Annual Reports shall
comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the applicable
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted or
issued pursuant thereto, as fully and to all intents and purposes as he might or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s) or his substitute or resubstitute, may lawfully
do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set his hand this 15th
day of February, 2002.

                                               /s/  THOMAS W. BURGHART
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                    Thomas W. Burghart
                                                    Principal Financial Officer
                                                    and Principal Accounting
                                                    Officer