PHThe world's most successful pìrâ†é was a woman
The 19th-century Chinese pìrâ†é Ching Shih, a former sèx worker and widow of fearsome pìrâ†é Cheng I, became a hugely successful pìrâ†é in her own right, succeeding her husband and eventually commanding more than 1,800 pìrâ†é ships and 80,000 men (the secrets she'd learned about her powerful clients at the brothel also came in handy).
(S) bestlifeonline