Do you earn more than a Somali pirate?

Do you earn more than a Somali pirate?

click

snip


They estimate that the owners of 179 ships hijacked between 2005 and 2012 paid out ransoms totaling between $339 million and $413 million, or an average payment per vessel of around $2.3 million.

But the pirate foot soldiers — the men with guns who illegally take to the seas to hunt down ships — earned only $30,000-$75,000 each, with the first to board a targeted vessel winning a $10,000 bonus.

It turns out that some pirate attacks were shoestring operations while others, well-equipped with weapons, boats, satellite phones and GPS locators, cost tens of thousands of dollars to launch.

Much of the takings of individual pirates were whittled away on the mild narcotic “khat” and food that is provided on credit during long months of negotiations during which the pirates guard the vessels and their crew, meaning their takeaway was frequently even lower. It was also quickly frittered away on imported SUVs, alcohol and more khat.