When a millionaire who caught the CIA’s attention died in a Hong Kong fire
Bill Crum, who had ‘many enemies’, died alone in his home in Sai Kung in 1977 after ‘a lifetime made rich from the spoils of America’s wars in Asia’
“Police and firemen are probing the death of an American multimillionaire who died yesterday when his luxurious home in Sai Kung was destroyed by fire,” reported the South China Morning Post on February 6, 1977. “The charred body of Bill Crum (57) was found in the gutted ruins.
“He spent his last years in quiet luxury in a house on a tree-covered hill overlooking a bay in Hebe Haven where he had interests in a marina. Mr Crum, born in Shanghai of American parents, is believed to have made many enemies.
“According to neighbours, Mr Crum was alone in his two-storey Chinese-style house when he died. His Japanese wife is on an overseas trip. Despite his fortune, Mr Crum led a lonely life in his last years. Sailing his magnificent yacht Nostromo was one of his joys, but he sold the vessel about four years after his health deteriorated – and his four day detention by Chinese authorities when he strayed into Chinese territorial waters in May 1972.
“For several days before he died, Mr Crum was not seen at the marina. He looked sick and weary, according to yachtsmen who saw him in recent weeks.”
On February 8, the Post reported that “a safe found in the ruins of the house of […] Mr Bill Crum, contained only ‘personal documents’. Two uniformed policemen have been guarding the house in Sai Kung which was gutted by fire on Saturday morning”.
“A joint team of Fire Services Department officers have been carefully going through the burnt out house to make certain that arson was not involved and that Mr Crum had indeed died in the fire. ‘Because of his reported background, we have to make sure that everything is what it seems to be,’ a senior police officer said.
