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Maran Centaurus - In 2009, an oil tanker called Maran Centaurus was held up by Somali pirates.

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Maran Centaurus - The crew were held hostage for US$7 million, which was paid two months later.

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Anthony Da Cruz - Da Cruz was an executive with Kodak who worked in Argentina. He was kidnapped by the People’s Revolutionary Army in 1973.

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Anthony Da Cruz - Apparently, Da Cruz was treated respectfully while in captivity. He was released after Kodak paid up the US$1.5 million ransom (around about $9 million today).

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Virginia Piper -

The wife of investment banker Harry C. Piper, Virginia Piper was abducted by vigilantes at her home in Minnesota in 1972.

After the ransom of US$1 million (more than $6 million today) was paid, she was found chained to a tree.

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Samho Dream - The Samho Dream was a supertanker that was hijacked back in 2010. Somali pirates held the crew ransom, requesting US$9 million.

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Samho Dream - The ship was held for a whopping 217 days before the payment was made.

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Samuel Bronfman II - The 21-year-old son of Edgar Bronfman Sr. (right), the former CEO of Seagram drinks, was kidnapped in 1975 in New York and ransomed at US$2.3 million.

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Samuel Bronfman II - Samuel Bronfman II (left) was held for over a week before he was freed, with the ransom worth around $11 million today.

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Francis Brimicombe - Francis Brimicombe worked with the British American Tobacco company, which is behind products like Pall Mall. He was also kidnapped in 1973 by the People's Revolutionary Army.

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Francis Brimicombe - The Army asked for US$1.7 million, which was duly paid. The amount is valued at around $10 million today.

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John R. Thompson -

Thompson was the president of Firestone in 1973 when he too was kidnapped by the People's Revolutionary Army in Argentina. 

The guerilla group asked for about US$3 million, which can be equaled to $18 million today. He was freed around two and a half weeks later.

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John Paul Getty III - A huge story at the time, John Paul Getty III was the grandson of Jean Paul Getty, a wealthy oil tycoon. He was kidnapped by Italian gangsters in 1973 in Rome.

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John Paul Getty III -

The abductors asked for US$3 million, which can be valued at around $18 million today. They take off one of Getty's ears when the original ransom wasn't met.

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Patty Hearst - In one of the most infamous ransom stories ever, sophomore student Patty Hearst (center) was kidnapped back in 1974. The ransom was unusual, around US$70 worth of food for every hungry person in California.

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Patty Hearst -

Hearst was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army, a militant group that also orchestrated bank robberies. Hearst's father, Randolph Hearst (son of William Randolph Hearst Sr.), ended up giving out more than US$2 million worth of food (over $10 million's worth today).

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Enrique Metz -

Enrique Metz was an executive for Mercedes Benz which was based in Argentina. Metz was kidnapped by the guerrilla group Montoneros in 1975. 

Montoneros ransomed Metz for US$5 million, which is worth around $24 million today.

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Charles Lockwood -

Lockwood was a consultant on green business strategies, who was kidnapped by Argentina's People's Revolutionary Army twice! The first was in 1973, with a ransom of US$2 million (nearly $12 million today).

The second time was in 1975, with a ransom of US$10 million (more than $48 million today).

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Walter Kwok - Walter Kwok was the son of Kwok Tak Seng, one of the richest billionaires in Hong Kong. In 1997, he was kidnapped by Cheung Tze-keung, an infamous Chinese gangster.

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Walter Kwok -

The ransom was set at around US$77 million, which was paid. Kwok was then found alive in a wooden box in a village house. It's said that Kwok had a rivalry with his brothers, who didn't want to pay the ransom, which is around $122 million by today's standards.

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Victor Samuelson - Victor Samuelson was a rescue refinery manager who worked for Esso Argentina (under Exxon).

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Victor Samuelson - Samuelson was kidnapped by the People's Revolutionary Army in 1974, with a ransom set at US$14.2 million. He was held for 98 days before Esso Argentina paid the price, which is around $77 million by today's standards.

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Victor Li -

The same gangster behind Walter Kwok's kidnapping also reportedly abducted Victor Li in 1996. Victor Li is the son of Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing (pictured).

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Victor Li - Victor Li was ransomed at US$134 million, which is around $219 million today. The infamous gangster, nicknamed "Big Spender," was later arrested, and executed in 2000.

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Jorge and Juan Born -

Jorge and Juan Born were stockholders in Bunge & Born, one of the biggest businesses in Buenos Aires. They were both kidnapped in 1974, with a steep ransom set at US$60 million.

The pair were abducted by Montoneros but were freed nine months later after the ransom was paid. Today, the ransom is estimated to be worth $326 million.

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Qatar's royal family -

In 2015, an Iraqi militia known as Kata'ib Hezbollah kidnapped members of the House of Thani, who belong to the Qatari royal family.

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Qatar's royal family -

The victims were taken hostage when they were on a hunting expedition in Iraq. The ransom negotiations between the Qatari government and the kidnappers went on for two years, with Qatar ultimately agreeing to pay the record sum of US$1 billion in the end.

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Atahualpa -

Atahualpa was the last emperor of the Incas before the Spaniards conquered the Inca Empire. As Atahualpa had seized the throne from his brother, the leader of Spanish conquistadors Francisco Pizarro saw an opportunity to deceive him. He invited Atahualpa to celebrate, but once the Incan emperor arrived with his men, the Spaniards killed them in an hour and kidnapped Atahualpa, demanding a ransom equivalent to US$1.5 billion in today's money.

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Atahualpa -

The Incas provided the kidnappers with silver and gold worth the amount they asked for, which was so much that it could fill an entire room. Despite their best efforts, Atahualpa was still later convicted of rebellion and executed. To this day, the ransom paid for Atahualpa is believed to be the largest ransom ever paid in history, according to Guinness World Records.

See also: The world's most expensive foods

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