The Con Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower for Scrap, Twice

In 1925, a charming stranger checked into one of the finest hotels in Paris and quietly decided to sell a landmark that did not belong to him. The landmark was the Eiffel Tower, and the man was about to attempt one of the most audacious cons ever recorded. This documentary follows Victor Lustig, perhaps the most elegant swindler of the twentieth century, as he posed as a senior government official, gathered the city's leading scrap-metal dealers, and convinced them the aging tower was quietly about to be sold for parts. We trace how the scheme was built, why his chosen mark stayed silent instead of going to the police, and how Lustig grew so confident that he returned to Paris weeks later and tried to sell the very same monument all over again. Along the way it becomes a study of charm, greed, and the strange psychology that lets a good story override common sense, even in people who really should know better. Bygone Era tells the true stories history left out. New documentary every week. If you enjoy true stories of cons and clever crime, consider subscribing for a new one each week. #History #Documentary #TrueCrime