History's Greatest Con Artists (vanity)

laurav

[LADY J]

Bill Clinton has lived off the taxpayers his entire life. His education was paid for by others. He never had a real job. He never owned a house. He came from rags to our White House as a millionaire with our furniture. He probably still claims a tax deduction for his used underwear.

[LADY J]

"He came from rags to our White House and left as a millionaire with our furniture. He probably still claims a tax deduction for his used underwear."

Sorry for the error.

[laurav]

Odysseus is definitely a good one - tricking Troy, tricking the cyclops, trying to trick his wife (and then seeing she was as faithful as ever). Can you think of any medieval ones? The others are all more recent, so the more I can spread this over history, the better.

[laurav]

Jay Gould's a good one... apparently tried to swindle Vanderbilt in the bid to take over the Eerie railroad. Also speculated on gold, the net result being "Black Friday" - one of the more painful crashes in Wall Street history. Thanks!

[Mike Darancette]

James Rivas the "Baron of Arizona" forged a Spanish Land Grant (Even updating the original ledger in Spain).

The Land Grant gave ownership of virtually all of Arizona Territory (mid 1800) to Rivas' wife. The wife had been led to believe that she was from Spanish Royalty when in reality she was poor.

[IncPen]

Charles K. Ponzi

[Joe Bonforte]

How could you forget Charles Ponzi, from which we get the phrase "Ponzi scheme"?

[Joe Bonforte]

Almost a tie...

[laurav]

Yes, but he's so obvious that I figured most people would know about him... but you're both right, he's a good one. Do either of you know anything about Sir Edmund Backhouse and his travels through China, making up tales of orgies in the emporer's palace and the like? I haven't been able to come up with much solid on him.

[vharlow]

Mohammed

[APBaer]

"Swedish Match King" Ivar Kruger,
see also http://www.viking1.com/spy/kre.htm

[APBaer]

"inventory that didn't exist scams"

1. Billie Sol Estes, in fertilizer

2. earlier McKesson & Robbins
http://www.thestreet.com/comment/streetsidechat/10029662.html

3. The Salad Oil Scandal (Anthony "Tino" De
Angelis)

[DmBarch]

Joseph 'Yellow Kid' Weil, who once set up a fake bank in Muncie, Ind., staffed by prostitutes, and conned a rich man into depositing $50,000.

In his book the Yellow Kid noted that it was rare to actually cheat an honest person in his schemes. He also claimed to once have a candy and gum business in Chicago that was legit, but that was structured so that the authorities might go after it as a con type set-up. So he sold out to a guy named Wrigley. He sold large portions of Muskegon County, Michigan over and over to "crooked land speculators".

In about 1975 we had an early 13 Channel cable feed at the Frat House. The Chicago station had a story about a high school group doing the play "Guys and Dolls". Technical advisor - the 90 year old Yellow Kid.

[gunnedah]

William Jefferson Clinton conned about 46% of the American voting public and his wife continues the legacy!