Maritime piracy poses a threat to global shipping as pirates target commercial vessels for ransom, stealing cargo and kidnapping crew members to fulfil other motives, mainly political. Despite international efforts to deal with maritime piracy, it still persists in many hotspots driven by socio-economic and political factors. This article outlines the highest ransoms ever paid to pirates. Maritime piracy has been in the world for more than 3000 years, with its earliest documented incidents in the 14th century BC, when the Sea Peoples raided ships in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions. Piracy surged in several parts of the world during the Golden Age of Piracy, which spanned from the 1650s to 1730s, in which it flourished in the Indian Ocean, North Atlantic and the Caribbean, with the rise of many famous pirates, eyeing colonial trade routes and the valuable cargoes ships carried. Modern-day piracy persists due to a lack of economic opportunities, corruption, poverty and other factors. Irene SL Hijacking, 2011 The Irene SL hijacking is one of the most prominent maritime piracy incidents due to the record-breaking ransom paid for its release. Image for representation purpose only On February 9, 2011, the Greek-owned VLCC was captured by Somali pirates around 350 nm southeast of Muscat, Oman, while en route from Mina Al Ahmadi, Kuwait, to the U.S Gulf Coast. The VLCC was loaded with 2 million barrels of crude oil worth 200 million dollars and had 25 crew members. After being in captivity for 58 days, the crew was released in April 2011, after a ransom of $13.5 million was paid, the highest recorded ever. All the crew members were thankfully reported safe after being released. This piracy incident drew international attention since it brought forth the escalating scale and reach of Somali pirates, and their ability to target large, high-value ships from the Somali coast. After this shocking incident, the maritime industry realised how vulnerable the global oil supply routes are, and it led to calls for greater cooperation and increased naval patrols on these routes to fight piracy. This case remains a striking example of the financial and security risks posed by maritime piracy. SMYRNI Hijacking, 2012 The SMYRNI hijacking was one of the major successful attacks on a large oil tanker by Somali pirates. Image for representation purpose only The incident unfolded on May 11, 2012, when the Greek-owned oil tanker MV Smyrni, loaded with 135,000 tonnes of crude oil and a 26-member crew, was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea close to Oman when it was sailing to Indonesia. After remaining captive for 10 months, the ship and crew were released when a ransom of $ 9.5 million was paid to the pirates, and the ship was directed to a port of refuge, said to be Salalah, Oman. This case is remembered due to the high ransom paid to pirates for the ship and the crew’s safe release. Samho Dream Hijacking, 2010 Another case where one of the highest ransoms had to be paid was the Samho Dream hijacking incident. The Samho Dream was a South Korean supertanker sailing under the Marshall Islands Flag. It carried crude oil worth $160 million and had a 24-member crew when it was hijacked by Somali pirates, 600 nm off the Somali coast on April 4, 2010. Image for representation purpose only The ship and its crew were kept in captivity for more than 7 months or 217 days, and were released on November 6, 201,0, after a ransom of $9 to $9.5 million was paid.