Stonehouse’s rise from the dead may have inspired a Chinese coffee company. Readers may remember the Luckin Coffee scandal in 2020. This company was touted as China’s Starbucks. It had frenetic sales growth before listing on the Nasdaq in 2019.
John Stonehouse was an unimportant Member of the British Parliament in the 1970s. The Labour MP was not known for oratory or charisma. Instead, he will be remembered for a different reason. He is the only MP who died twice. In November 1974, Stonehouse disappeared from a beach in Miami. It appeared that he had drowned.
Stonehouse was presumed dead, though there was no corpse. Gushing tributes poured in from his supporters. His obituary was published in The London Times. Actually, Stonehouse was on his way to Australia. He had assumed a new name of Clive Mildoon. His death was faked, as he wanted to escape his debts. His much younger secretary was with him. Stonehouse wanted to start a new life with this new lady. He was eventually caught, convicted and served seven years in a British jail.
