Kidnapping seems like a very profitable business, as we can see in 11 most expensive ransoms ever paid. In a majority of cases, kidnappers sought money, but in some, it was done to fulfill political goals. Unfortunately, nobody came up with a plan to kidnap some of most hated television characters. People would pay good money to kidnappers just to keep them away from cameras.
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Ransoms have been around for a long time. The idea of holding someone hostage until their loved ones pay out seems like an easy way to make some cash. Unfortunately for kidnappers, there are plenty of cases where the plan backfired. One of the best stories about kidnapping fail and karmic payback is the one about Julius Caesar.
In 75 BC, young Julius was returning to Rome when his ship was intercepted by pirates in the Aegean Sea. Delighted to find a Roman patrician on board, pirates set his ransom at 20 talents, a standard rate for a senator at the time. Caesar laughed it off and demanded the ransom be set to 50 talents of silver. (Roman talent was about 32 kilograms). Pirates obliged him and took him to their hideout in Cilicia, a part of a modern day Turkey while he waited for his friends to gather the money. Caesar spent 38 days with his captives. He spent every day telling them how he will crucify them all once they set him free. Pirates found him very amusing since they were convinced there’s no way a young arrogant roman will find them ever again in numerous bays and coves of the Cilician coast, infested with pirates. However, pirates didn’t know that they were dealing with one of the greatest military minds in history. The error of their ways was shown to them when Caesar appeared with a fleet and captured them. To show his gratitude to the way they treated him while holding him hostage, he did them a favor. Before crucifying them, he had their throats cut. It was considered an act of mercy.
Despite being a great story, Caesar’s kidnapping isn’t among most expensive ransoms ever paid. 1.5 tons of silver seems like a petty cash compared to what some of the victims paid to get their freedom back. The 70s in particular seemed like a golden age of ransoms. 8 out of 11 most expensive ransoms ever paid on our list are from a short period between 1973 and 1975. As the law enforcement technology progressed, the chances of successfully collecting the ransom and avoid getting caught diminished significantly, at least in first world countries. We excluded from the list modern pirates and their tanker ransoms and decided to focus on people instead. Let’s see who paid 11 most expensive ransoms.
11.Atahualpa, 1532
Nominal value of the ransom: 13,000 pounds of gold and 26,000 pounds of silver
Value in 2015 USD: 12 million (based on the price of gold and silver)
After being captured by Francisco Pizarro in disastrous Battle of Cajamarca, the last Incan emperor Atahualpa tried to buy his freedom back by offering to fill the room with gold and silver. Pizarro accepted and the room measuring 22 feet long and 17 feet wide up to a height of 8 feet was filled once with gold and twice with silver. It took two months for the Incas to gather the incredible amount of treasure to Cajamarca. The Spaniards melted everything down into bullions in order to get a fair assessment of the value (and pay the usual 20% tax to the Spanish crown). It amounted to 13,000 pounds of gold and 26,000 pounds of silver. Pizarro was delighted, but that didn’t stop him from killing Atahualpa several months later.
10.Richard the Lionheart, 1192
Nominal value of the ransom: 150,000 marks (65,000 pounds of silver)
Value in 2015 USD: 13.8 million (based on the price of silver)
In 1192, King Richard I of England was returning from a crusading in the Middle East. Storms forced him to take an overland route, which led him through lands of Duke Leopold V of Austria. Duke held Richard accountable for the murder of one of his cousins and when the news of King’s voyage was brought to him, he took his chance. Richard was captured and ransom demand in the amount of 150,000 marks was sent to London. It took 2 years to gather the money and Richard was finally released in 1194. His capture was a very significant event in English history and led to the rise of the Robin Hood legend, as well as to coining of the term “the King’s ransom”. Historian David Boyle suggests that true value of the ransom was much higher. The sum represented 2 or even 3 years’ worth of the English crown’s entire income. It should also be noted that silver had much higher value, as this was before the Spanish flooded Europe with riches from their American colonies and drove the price of precious metals into the ground. Boyle estimates that Richard’s ransom would be worth more than $3 billion today.
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9.John R. Thompson, 1973
Nominal value of the ransom: $3 million
Value in 2015 USD: 14.5 million
In the 1970s, Argentinian Worker’s Revolutionary Party faced the cruel reality of real life. In order to run for the elections, they needed money. But being hardcore communist, instead of fundraisers, they decided on a different approach to obtain it, kidnapping people for ransom. In order to do that, they formed People’s Revolutionary Army (ERP), party’s armed wing. In 1973, they kidnapped John R. Thompson, head of local Firestone branch. The company paid the demanded ransom in the amount of $3 million.
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8.John Paul Getty III, 1973
Nominal value of the ransom: $3 million
Value in 2015 USD: 16.3
In 1973, members of ‘Ndrangheta (criminal organization from Italy’s region of Calabria) kidnapped John Paul Getty III, a grandson of Jean Paul Getty, an oil baron and the richest American at the time. After strained negotiations, which involved cutting off of the victim’s ear and mailing it to the family and a ransom demand being delayed by the strike of Italian post, loving grandpa agreed to pay $2.2 million out of $3 million kidnappers demanded. Why 2.2? Well, it’s simple really. That was the maximum amount that was tax deductible. Grandpa also agreed to lend the rest of the money to the victim’s father, who was also his son, at 4% interest rate. $3 million and one ear was the price John Paul Getty III’s freedom.
7.Enrique Metz, 1975
Nominal value of the ransom: $5 million
Value in 2015 USD: 22.2 million
Montonerros was another Argentinian leftist organization that didn’t have any qualms about financing their struggle with ransom money. In 1975, they snatched Enrique Metz, a Mercedes-Benz executive. Metz’s employers cashed out $5 million for his life and freedom.
6.Patty Hearst, 1974
Nominal value of the ransom: $6 million
Value in 2015 USD: 29 million
Number six on our list of most expensive ransoms ever paid goes to Patty Hearst. The rich heiress was kidnapped by Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974. The SLA didn’t want the money. Instead, they demanded that her father distributes $70 million worth of food to every poor family in California. Eventually, the two parties settled on $6 million in food, although SLA later claimed that the food was of a very poor quality. In an unexpected twist of fate, Patty joined the group. After participating in several crimes, including a bank robbery, she was arrested in 1975.
5.Charles Lockwood, 1973 and 1975
Nominal value of the ransom: $2.5 million in 1973, $10 million in 1975
Value in 2015 USD: 57.8 million
Whether it is due to lax security or extremely bad luck, Charles Lockwood managed to get kidnapped twice in the timespan of just over two years. The first ransom was set at $2.5 million. 26 months later, as he was driving home with his daughters and bodyguards, Lockwood was ambushed. This time, the ransom demanded was $10 million. Both times he was kidnapped by ERP, People’s Revolutionary Army. After the second kidnapping, Lockwood quit Argentine.
4.Victor Samuelson, 1974
Nominal value of the ransom: $14.2 million
Value in 2015 USD: 68.4 million
Another ERP’s victim, Victor Samuelson was a refinery manager for Esso Argentina, a subsidiary of Exxon. He was snatched in 1974 and the company paid out $14.2 million to his captors.
3.Walter Kwok, 1997
Nominal value of the ransom: $77 million
Value in 2015 USD: 114.5 million
In the 1990s, Hong Kong was in terror over one Cheung Tze-keung, AKA Big Spender. The charming criminal executed several high profile heists, including robbing an armored van and a raid on Kai Tak Airport. In 1997, he conducted his second most profitable kidnapping, by snatching Walter Kwok, one of the wealthiest Hong Kong tycoons. Big Spender collected $77 million in ransom, a staggering sum but not on par with his previous job.
2.Victor Li
Nominal value of the ransom: $133 million
Value in 2015 USD: 203.8 million
The most famous (and most lucrative) of Big Spender’s victims was Victor Li. The heir to the richest Hong Kong businessman Li Ka-shing was kept in a wooden box while his father agreed to pay $133 million dollars to Cheung Tze-keung. The details of the ransom and other criminal activities were discovered on his trial in 1998 in China. Big Spender was sentenced to death and shot on December 5th, 1998.
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1.Jorge and Juan Born, 1974
Nominal value of the ransom: $60 million
Value in 2015 USD: 290.5 million
The dubious honor of being number one on our list of most expensive ransoms ever paid goes to brothers Born, Jorge and Juan. The Born brothers ran very successful grain trading business and were considered one of the wealthiest families in Argentina. Montonerros snatched them in 1974, killing their driver in the process. After 9 months of negotiations, the family paid an unprecedented sum of $60 million dollars, equivalent to more than $290 million today. Shortly after the release, Borns relocated their business to Brazil. Mario Firmenich, Montonerros leader, was sentenced to life in prison for this crime in 1984.
