10 Fun Facts About Famous Liars

Which financier orchestrated the largest Ponzi scheme in history, defrauding investors of billions?

Bernie Madoff ran a massive Ponzi scheme, which was discovered in late 2008, amounting to approximately $64 billion in capital over two decades.

Who was convicted of fraud related to her blood-testing company, Theranos?

Elizabeth Holmes, CEO of Theranos, was found guilty on four counts of defrauding investors in 2022, after making false claims about her company's blood-testing technology.

Who authored the memoir 'A Million Little Pieces,' later revealed to contain fabricated events?

James Frey's memoir 'A Million Little Pieces,' a bestseller after being selected by Oprah Winfrey, was exposed for containing numerous exaggerations and fabrications.

Which journalist was exposed for fabricating numerous stories for The New Republic magazine?

Stephen Glass was fired from The New Republic in 1998 after an internal investigation revealed that a majority of his stories were either partially or entirely fabricated.

Which musical duo had their Grammy Award revoked after it was revealed they did not sing on their records?

Milli Vanilli, composed of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, had their 1990 Grammy for Best New Artist revoked when it was discovered they lip-synced their songs.

Whose life as a con artist and imposter was depicted in the film 'Catch Me If You Can'?

Frank Abagnale Jr. was a notorious con artist who successfully impersonated a pilot, doctor, and lawyer, among other roles, before being caught. His story became a major motion picture.

Which cyclist was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles due to a doping scandal?

Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from competitive cycling after a USADA investigation confirmed extensive doping.

What famous archaeological hoax involved the supposed discovery of an early human ancestor in England?

The Piltdown Man hoax, exposed in 1953, involved bone fragments presented as a 'missing link' between apes and humans, which were actually a combination of human and ape bones.

Who attempted to publish a fraudulent autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes?

Clifford Irving orchestrated a literary hoax in the early 1970s by claiming to have collaborated with the reclusive Howard Hughes on his autobiography, which was entirely fabricated.

What historical forgery involved a series of journals purportedly written by Adolf Hitler, published by Stern magazine?

The Hitler Diaries were a series of sixty volumes forged by Konrad Kujau between 1981 and 1983 and purchased by the West German news magazine Stern, which were quickly exposed as fakes.