22. The Pirate Who Got Away
Real-life piracy was often a short career that ended in death at a young age from disease or violence. Relatively few major pirates got to retire with their loot, but still – some did. One such was Henry “Long Ben” Avery (circa 1655 – disappeared 1699).
Avery not only pulled off one of history’s most lucrative piratical heists, but also avoided getting killed in battle or an arrest and execution, and reportedly lived to retire with his plunder. His life inspired a popular play, The Successful Pyrate, about a pirate who retires after one year of piracy, and lives the rest of his life under an assumed name as a rich man.