I’m afraid there’s really no answer to this. If the faked death was successful, no one would ever know about it.
A link to the column is appreciated. Has any famous person ever succeeded in faking his own death?
Regarding Cecil’s mention that mystery novelist Agatha Christie faked her death for a week or so by checking into a hotel “under an assumed name”: the interesting part of that story is that Agatha Christie used her husband’s MISTERESS’ name. Christie always claimed that she had had amnesia and had no idea why she “happened” to use that name; but many, if not most, experts now believe that she did it to blacken the mistress’ reputation…
My apologies. I knew better, just didn’t think. 
Well, duh. The only way to interpret this question so that it wasn’t completely stupid was, “are there any known instances of famous people successfully faking their own deaths for a time?” Obviously that’s the interpretation I chose.
Unca Cece?
Is that really you???
I’ve never been this close to a demi-god…
[sub]Can I have your autograph?[/sub]
Hi Cecil Adams. I’m interested in the Nazis and war criminals who successfully faked their deaths. What do you know about them?
BTW, I personally think that your ability to make merry with the completely stupid questions (not that this one was) is why you are the Perfect Master, and why I am
your Humble Servant
Well, have you thought of Pythagoras’s slave Salmoxis? I know he doesn’t really count as famous or recent, but according to Larry Gonick in “The Cartoon History of the Universe” (a great resource if there ever was one) this slave became free, moved to Thrace, got rich and talked up some bizarre philosophy. Then he faked his death, lived in a hidden chamber for three years. He came out in the forth year and was “worshipped as a God.”
We know almost nothing about Pythagoras himself. Any story about his servants can be safely filed under “legends”.
Then you should’ve said so.
Oh, well, that’s very different. Nevermind. 