Entrepreneur to Privatize Fight Against Pirates

Will offer a fleet of armed men to escort ships

Beware, pirates of Africa. You may have outlasted years of patrols from the world's navies. You may have driven fear into the hears of shipping magnates and sent insurance rates skyrocketing. But now you'll have to contend with a dapper British investor who is seeking to privatize the fight against seafaring brigands.

Anthony Sharp, a 50-year-old veteran of tech startups, grew up with a love for ships. On February 7, he'll turn that boyhood affection into what might be the first private navy since the 19th century. Sharp's newest company, Typhon, will offer a fleet of armed ex-Royal Marines and sailors to escort commercial ships through pirate-infested waters. In essence, Typhon wants to be the Blackwater of the sea, minus the stuff about accidentally killing civilians.