Obituary | Green light flashing

Simon Mann was the go-to guy for military coups and bespoke warfare

The private military contractor, aka mercenary, died on May 8th, aged 72

Photograph: AP
|5 min read

As his hired Hawker biz jet lurched towards the rendezvous on March 7th 2004, Simon Mann kept his gaze fixed on the instrument panel. Not the one in the cockpit. The one in his brain. If he saw just one red light, he would jack the whole thing in.

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This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline “Simon Mann”

From the May 31st 2025 edition

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