Victor Lustig is remembered as one of history’s most notorious con artists. Born in Austria-Hungary in 1890, Lustig had a natural gift for persuasion. He often used charm and wit to deceive others, but his most daring act involved selling the Eiffel Tower—two times!
The Bold Eiffel Tower Scam 
In 1925, Lustig read a news report saying the Eiffel Tower needed repairs and might be dismantled. This sparked a bold idea: Lustig, pretending to be a French government official, convinced several scrap metal dealers that the government planned to sell the Eiffel Tower as scrap metal. He even invited these dealers to a fake “bidding meeting,” giving his scheme an air of legitimacy. One dealer fell for the trick, paid a large sum, and soon realized he’d been scammed—but Lustig was already on the run. Months later, Lustig returned to Paris and repeated the same scam on another dealer, making him a “two-time” Eiffel Tower seller.
The “Money-Printing Box” Scheme 
Lustig’s scams weren’t limited to the Eiffel Tower. He also invented a device he called the “money-printing box.” Lustig would demonstrate how the box could supposedly print $100 bills by secretly loading real bills inside before showing them to his audience. This illusion convinced people to pay him large sums for the box. By the time they realized it was fake, Lustig was gone.
The End of a Legendary Con Artist
In 1935, Lustig’s luck ran out when the U.S. Secret Service arrested him for counterfeiting. He was sentenced to prison, where he spent the rest of his life. Lustig’s story reveals the lengths some will go to achieve fame and fortune through deception.
