The Story Of Victor Lustig, The Man Who Sold The Eiffel Tower Twice
Updated: Oct 7, 2024
Victor Lustig was a master of deception, infamous for his bold scams that spanned Europe and the United States in the early 20th century. Born in Hostinné, Bohemia, when it was part of Austria-Hungary, Lustig’s life was defined by cleverness, charm, and a remarkable criminal mind. He became most famous for selling the Eiffel Tower not just once, but twice, and for devising the notorious “Rumanian Box” scam. His name endures as one of history’s most skilful fraudsters.
Early Life: The Making of a Con Artist
Lustig’s upbringing in Bohemia revealed an early brilliance and adaptability. A natural linguist, he mastered several languages and excelled in academics. However, his mischievous tendencies, combined with a growing interest in gambling while studying in Paris, began steering him toward a life of deceit. It was also in these early years that Lustig acquired a distinctive scar on his face, the result of a jealous lover’s outburst—an incident that would become part of his colourful history.
By the time he was 19, Lustig had ditched formal education and fully embraced a life of crime, relying on his sharp mind and knack for languages to pull off a string of clever scams. He started out on transatlantic ocean liners, where he set his sights on wealthy passengers. One of his early wins came when he pretended to be a Broadway producer, convincing people to invest in a show that didn’t even exist. But when World War I brought ocean travel to a halt, Lustig had to find new ways to hustle and ended up moving to the United States for fresh opportunities.
The Eiffel Tower Scam: Selling Paris’ Crown Jewel
Lustig’s most famous con went down in Paris in 1925 when he managed to sell the Eiffel Tower—not once, but twice. The idea came to him after reading a newspaper article about how expensive it was to maintain the tower, which had fallen into a bit of disrepair. The article hinted that the public might soon support tearing it down, and Lustig saw the perfect opening.
He hired a skilled forger to whip up some fake government paperwork and then posed as a high-ranking French official, the Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs. Armed with these convincing documents, Lustig invited a group of Parisian scrap metal dealers to a secret meeting at a fancy hotel. Playing the part of the official, he told them he was in charge of selling off the Eiffel Tower because the city couldn’t afford to keep it anymore.
Lustig explained that the sale needed to be conducted discreetly to avoid public outrage, and he had personally selected these dealers for their reputation as trustworthy businessmen. During the meeting, Lustig scrutinised the attendees, searching for the most gullible mark. He found his prey in André Poisson, an ambitious businessman eager to rise within Parisian high society. Poisson’s desire to secure the deal led to Lustig’s final move: a private meeting in which he subtly implied that a generous bribe would ensure Poisson’s success in winning the contract.
Convinced that he was making a smart investment, Poisson handed over 70,000 francs to Lustig—ostensibly for both the bribe and the sale. Lustig then fled the country with his ill-gotten gains. Remarkably, Poisson was too ashamed to report the con to the authorities, and Lustig’s scam went unnoticed. Emboldened by his success, Lustig returned to Paris a few months later to try the scheme again. This time, however, his new mark grew suspicious and reported the scam to the police, forcing Lustig to flee to the United States to avoid arrest.
Ten Commandments
A set of instructions known as the "Ten Commandments for Con Men" has been attributed to Lustig:
Be a patient listener (it is this, not fast talking, that gets a con man his coups).
Never look bored.
Wait for the other person to reveal any political opinions, then agree with them.
Let the other person reveal religious views, then have the same ones.
Hint at sex talk, but don't follow it up unless the other person shows a strong interest.
Never discuss illness, unless some special concern is shown.
Never pry into a person's personal circumstances (they'll tell you all eventually).
Never boast – just let your importance be quietly obvious.
Never be untidy.
Never get drunk.
The “Rumanian Box” Scam: A Machine That Prints Money
Another one of Lustig’s signature cons was the “Rumanian Box” scam. This elaborate hoax involved a mahogany box that Lustig claimed could duplicate any currency inserted into it. The device was supposedly capable of producing an exact copy of a bill after six hours of processing. In reality, the box contained pre-loaded notes, allowing Lustig to trick his victims into believing it worked.
To sell the illusion, Lustig would take a note from his victim, feed it into the box, and after waiting six hours, produce a matching bill—genuine, of course, because it had been pre-loaded. Once the victim was convinced, they would pay exorbitant sums to purchase the machine, believing it could print endless wealth. Lustig would pack the box with enough real bills to allow him to escape before the victim realised they had been swindled.
One famous incident involved a Texas sheriff, whom Lustig duped into buying the machine for thousands of dollars. After discovering the ruse, the sheriff tracked Lustig down to Chicago, only to be conned again—Lustig convinced him that he had been operating the device incorrectly and even handed him counterfeit bills as compensation. This scam would eventually lead to Lustig’s downfall, as his involvement in counterfeiting caught the attention of American law enforcement.
A Dangerous Gamble: Conning Al Capone
In the 1930s, Lustig embarked on one of his riskiest ventures—conning the infamous mobster Al Capone. Lustig approached Capone with a business proposition, asking for a $50,000 investment in a supposed scheme. Instead of absconding with the money, Lustig simply stored it for two months before returning the full amount to Capone, explaining that the deal had fallen through. Capone, impressed by Lustig’s apparent honesty, rewarded him with $5,000 to help him “get back on his feet”. This seemingly small con, executed without direct theft, demonstrated Lustig’s mastery of manipulation and psychological finesse.
The Fall of Victor Lustig
Lustig’s criminal career finally came to an end in 1935. He had partnered with two men—William Watts, a pharmacist, and Tom Shaw, a chemist—to run a massive counterfeiting operation, printing and distributing tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of counterfeit currency. Dubbed “Lustig Money”, these counterfeit bills soon flooded the U.S. economy, prompting a federal investigation.
Lustig’s downfall came not from law enforcement, but from betrayal. His mistress, angered by his infidelity, informed the authorities about his counterfeiting ring. Lustig was arrested in New York and charged with counterfeiting, but even then, he refused to give up his partners. His undoing came when investigators discovered a locker containing $51,000 in counterfeit notes and the printing plates used to create them.
Lustig’s final act of defiance came when he managed to escape from prison, faking illness and climbing out of his cell using a homemade rope. However, he was recaptured less than a month later. Convicted of counterfeiting and his subsequent prison escape, Lustig was sentenced to 15 years in Alcatraz. He died of pneumonia in 1947 at the Federal Medical Centre in Springfield, Missouri, leaving behind a legacy of audacious cons and unmatched criminal ingenuity.