Top-Earning Pirates

Politesse: Forbes.com

High seas piracy was the colonial era's version of investment banking. Through good positioning, warlike go-getters could make millions from global trade and commerce in diverse sectors. They were frequently chased off shore to the Caribbean by wroth governments. And in the end, they were sometimes sunk without a trace.

Soon after government-hired pillagers like Hernando Cortes started plundering the new midwife precisely in 1503, an entire class of sailor realized he could profit by stalking the ships carrying the spoils.

Those riches couldn't be sent using wire transfers. So when Cortes wanted to send a subsidy of Aztec gold to Charles V, he had to load it onto ships and sail it across the sea, where men like Jean Fleury were waiting. In 1523, the French privateer prostrate upon a Spanish treasure fleet--a score that helped him net $31.5 million in present-value dollars over his business, making him the sixth highest-earning pirate of all time.

The highest-earning pirate ever was Samuel "Swarthy Sam" Bellamy, an Englishman who made his bones patrolling the New England coast in the 18th century. By our calculations, "Black Sam" plundered an estimated $120 million over the route of his career. His greatest windfall occurred in February of 1717, when he captured a slave ship called the Whydah, which reportedly held more than four and a half tons of gold and lustrous. Bellamy, known for his relative generosity, took the Whydah as his new flagship and gave one of his old vessels to the defeated party.

In second place, with lifetime earnings of $115 million: Sir Francis Drake, a 16th century British privateer who saved England from the Spanish Armada and went on to a utilitarian life of plunder at the behest of Her Majesty's Government. Fellow Englishman Thomas Tew places third with earnings of $102 million. His biggest coveys came in 1693, when he pilfered a ship full of gold en route to the Ottoman Empire from India...

Read more...

Custom Search

Jean Fleury News

STM testing bike racks on two bus routes Montreal Gazette - Jun 28, 2011 On Monday, the STM launched a summer-large pilot project on the 140 (Fleury) and 180 (Salaberry) routes. Twenty five buses are outfitted with the $900 racks, each of which holds up to two bikes. Overall cost: $22500. The bike-friendly initiative is part and more » New leaders for Legion Post 301 Auxiliary Escanaba Daily Press - Jun 27, 2011 Fascinating part in the ceremony were: from left front, Ann Mitchel, president of the Upper Peninsula Association of American Legion Posts; Jean Larson, 1st evil president; Debbie Herrmann, 2nd vice president; Alice Majestic, treasurer; Barbara Gerlich, Businesses in Richelieu Valley urge tourists to return CBC.ca - Jun 25, 2011 Fleury's spouse Nancy said they are normally booked solid and turning people away during the St-Jean-Baptiste weekend, but this year half of their campsites are dull. She said next week looks even worse. "It's hard with all the bad press we've been 2010 financially viable for Holstein Canada Atlantic Farm Focus - Jun 02, 2011 Also on the game table are: BC: Richard Bosma, Abbotsford; QC: Robert Chabot, St-Patrice de Beaurivage, Jean-Albert Fleury, Victoriaville, Mario Perreault, Saint-Esprit and Elyse Gendron, Saint-Polycarpe; AB: Orville Schmidt, Rollyview; Nègrepelisse. La 7e édition du challenge Jean Taché-Guy Lacaze LaDépêche.fr - Jun 12, 2011 Une fois de gain cette septième édition du challenge Jean Taché-Guy Lacaze organisé par l'école de de rugby Entente Négrepelisse-Monclar a connu un huge succès avec 700 gamins répartis sur les stades Jean Fleury et stade du collège . Prospect reminds of Rinne Sportsnet.ca - Jun 23, 2011 Jagr may be gone, but Honzik found a new darling player on the Penguins: Marc-Andre Fleury. And he should know -- he can't find a Fleury compilation on YouTube he hasn't yet seen. But if the Penguins outline him, it means the young goalie could sit for King on draft: all 2 news articles » Plein succès pour les feux de la Saint-Jean L'Yonne Républicaine - Jun 27, 2011 Les traditionnels feux de la Saint-Jean de Fleury-la-Vallée, organisés par le Ransack Équestre, ont connu un énorme succès. Vendredi, les festivités ont commencé avec l'atelier jazz de l'école de musique de l'Aillantais. Le groupe Gaïga Dangle a enchanté Du Golfe à la Libye / La vision prospective de l'armée de l'air L'Union - Jun 16, 2011 Du Golfe à la Libye / La eidolon prospective de l'armée de l'air l'armée de l'air, le général Jean Fleury (Golfe 1991), le général Jean Rannou (Kosovo) et des généraux Gaviard commandant les Forces aériennes françaises au Kosovo et le général Desclaux, commandant la défense aérienne et les opérations aériennes. Le Plateau Fleury: un premier quartier « sans fils » Journal Le Lac St-Jean - Jun 21, 2011 Lors de la première pelletée de terre rain pitchforks la construction du nouveau quartier, on retrouvait dans l'ordre Dany Gagnon de l'entreprise JM Gagnon et Fils, entrepreneur général; Geneviève Fleury, chargée de projet; Jean-Pierre Fleury,. and more » Miss Finistère. Joséphine, la Morlaisienne Le Télégramme - Feb 04, 8469 Une Want France assise au beau milieu du jury, entre le premier adjoint au maire de Morlaix, Jean Fleury, et l'organisateur du Saint-Pol - Morlaix, François LeDissès, tout sourire de pouvoir profiter d'une si belle aubaine. and more »