Who Is The Greatest Con Man In U.S. History?

“Yellow Kid” Weil and his accomplices, Doc Meriwether, Colonel Jim Porter and Romeo Simpson, were said to have inspired the classic film, The Sting, but their careers as bunco artists pale to insignificance compared to con men like Victor “Count” Lustig – who sold the Eiffel Tower twice and scammed Al Capone with such finesse that the Capo di tutti capi congratulated him; Charles Ponzi – who invented the pyramid scheme named in his honor; and characters like Frank Abagnale Jr. and Bernie Madoff, who stole millions and lived like royalty. Yet none of those qualify as the greatest either, according to a recent Forbes Magazine article. That title belongs to the smooth-talking fraudster who currently serves as Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross. The author, after an investigation that included speaking with more than 20 former colleagues of Ross’s, uncovered a pattern. They claim that Ross wrongly siphoned or outright stole a few million here and a few million there, – real money for most people but not necessarily for the billionaire commerce secretary – for a total of about $120 million. If even half of the accusations, which sparked lawsuits, reimbursements, and an SEC fine, are legitimate, then Ross ranks as possibly the most successful grifter in American history. Unfortunately, he lacks the charm of the other contenders. The author’s sources paint a portrait of a pathological liar and money grubber, who uses any power he has to grab whatever he can. The article details several of his cons, including one in which Ross stole his interests in a private equity fund, transferred them to himself, then covered it up with bogus paperwork. His alleged scams are ongoing, although nowadays they seem to be confined to retaining interests in enterprises whose fortunes he influences from his post in the Trump administration.