The Economics of Owning a Pirate Ship

What did it actually cost to own and operate a pirate ship during the Golden Age of Piracy? In this video, we break down the full business: startup costs (spoiler: they stole the office), the shockingly modern crew payroll, the brutal operating expenses of keeping a wooden warship alive in tropical waters — and the hidden cost that ruined almost every pirate: turning stolen cargo into actual money. Sources include surviving pirate articles, historical records of Golden Age piracy (1690–1730), and modern historians' estimates. All figures are historical estimates. Chapters: 0:00 The $100 million pirate 1:32 Getting the ship (startup costs) 3:53 History's strangest payroll 6:17 The daily burn rate 9:06 The Expensive Part 11:57 The verdict #History #Economics #Business #Finance #Money #HistoryDocumentary #BusinessHistory #HowMoneyWorks #HistoricalEconomics #Documentary #Wealth #Education #PirateHistory #HowBusinessesWork #OwningHistory