The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower Twice

Victor Lustig used forty-seven aliases and forged government credentials to sell the Eiffel Tower for scrap.

The scam succeeded by exploiting the tower's original status as a temporary structure and financial drain.

Lustig requested a bribe from André Poisson to convince him the fraudulent deal was a genuine government secret.

Poisson paid seventy thousand francs but never reported the crime to avoid public shame and bribery charges.

Lustig nearly sold the tower a second time before fleeing to the United States to avoid police.

The con man eventually died in Alcatraz after running a massive counterfeiting operation with high-quality fake bills.