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Shipwreck hunters

Shipwreck hunters

Paul Marshall, another Telegraph hunter, has an underwater prize in his sights. A company owned by his hedge fund is locked in a legal battle with the South African government over $40 million worth of silver retrieved from a World War Two shipwreck. The SS Tilawa was sailing from Mumbai to Durban in 1942 when it was struck by two torpedoes and sunk carrying a cargo of 2,364 bars of silver and 281 crew. Argentum Exploration Ltd, which is controlled by Marshall, is arguing in the UK Supreme Court that it is entitled to a salvage reward for finding the trove 70 years later at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Anthony Clake, an executive at Marshall’s hedge fund, has earned a reputation as one of the most successful shipwreck hunters in recent times. He’s conducted about 30 salvages in total, several involving investment from Marshall. South Africa says it has a sovereign claim to the silver, which was originally destined for the government mint.


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