**Simon Mann: The Infamous Mercenary Who Attempted a Coup in Equatorial Guinea Passes Away at 72**

**Simon Mann, remembered for his high-profile mercenary career and failed coup attempt, leaves behind a complex legacy intertwined with military ambition and controversy.**

Simon Mann, a notorious British mercenary and former Special Air Service officer, passed away on May 8, 2025, at the age of 72 from a heart attack while using a rowing machine at his London home. Mann, who became infamous for his attempts to orchestrate a coup against the Equatorial Guinean dictator, had a life steeped in both military exploits and extensive media scrutiny.

Mann first caught the public's attention in March 2004 in Harare, Zimbabwe, where his ambitious plan to topple the regime of Equatorial Guinea collapsed spectacularly. He recounted the harrowing moment when he was apprehended by the Zimbabwean secret police, who rightfully recognized the perilous nature of his operation. His memoir, "Cry Havoc," reflects on these tumultuous events with a candid perspective, describing the failed coup as a "whole [expletive] shambles."

Before his rogue venture in Africa, Mann was shaped by his elite education at Eton and a commendable career in the British army, particularly with the Scots Guards. Adding to his public persona, he was a country squire, carrying the legacy of a family adorned with war heroes. Perhaps what captivated the media most was the “Wonga Coup” incident, inspired by Mann's plea to his wife for funds while imprisoned in Zimbabwe, which garnered attention in both serious and sensationalist press coverage.

Throughout his life, Mann cultivated a reputation as one of the highest-paid and most daring mercenaries of his time, operating in a world where fortunes were coupled with substantial risks. His death closes a chapter on an extraordinary figure whose life was a blend of military ambition, misadventure, and the quest for notoriety.