In 1925, Victor Lustig convinced a Paris scrap-metal dealer that the French government was selling the Eiffel Tower.
His secret was a mixture of official papers, careful acting, and victims too embarrassed to report him.
He later returned to Paris and tried to sell it again.
- Victor Lustig reads that Paris may dismantle the rusting Eiffel Tower
- Born in Bohemia, Lustig learns languages, gambles and develops his skill at deception
- On Atlantic liners, he persuades wealthy passengers to invest in imaginary projects
- In America, he sells a fake money-printing box containing hidden real banknotes
- A Texas sheriff confronts Lustig, then receives counterfeit money as compensation
- Lustig uses forged ministry letters to invite scrap metal dealers to his hotel
- André Poisson buys the Eiffel Tower and pays Lustig a bribe
- Poisson stays silent from shame, so Lustig returns to attempt the scam again
- Lustig tricks Al Capone into paying him for returning an untouched investment
- Police arrest Lustig for counterfeiting; after escaping, he is recaptured and imprisoned
Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website:
https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/sold-eiffel-tower
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