, Columnist
Queen Elizabeth, Venture Capitalist for Marauders
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On Jan. 27, 1596, Sir Francis Drake died of dysentery aboard his ship off Portobelo, in what is now Panama. He was buried at sea in a lead coffin. It was a sad end to one of the great lives of the 16th century.
Drake had helped the English fleet defeat the Spanish Armada and acquired a vast fortune for himself through a series of daring raids. He also undertook an adventure on Queen Elizabeth I's behalf that would require a historical feat of circumnavigation, severe risks to personal safety -- and a significant infusion of venture capital.