In the pantheon of history's greatest con artists, few can match the audacity, creativity, and sheer nerve of Victor Lustig, the man who managed to sell the Eiffel Tower—not once, but twice. His elaborate scam, executed in 1925, remains one of the most brazen and fascinating frauds ever perpetrated, combining psychological manipulation, forged documents, and impeccable timing to create the perfect con.

The Count: Meet Victor Lustig

Born in 1890 in what is now the Czech Republic (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), Robert V. Miller would later adopt the name Victor Lustig along with dozens of other aliases throughout his criminal career. Fluent in five languages and possessing the charm and manners of European aristocracy, Lustig could easily pass himself off as a count, a diplomat, or a business magnate—whatever role best suited his current scheme.

By the mid-1920s, Lustig had already made a name for himself with various scams, including selling "money-printing machines" to gullible marks. These machines would appear to print $100 bills, but after several hours would stop producing anything but blank paper. By then, Lustig would be long gone with the purchase price—often tens of thousands of dollars.

"He could charm the gold out of your teeth while making you believe you were getting the better deal."

— Description of Lustig by a contemporary

The Perfect Opportunity

In May 1925, Lustig was in Paris when he spotted a small newspaper article that would inspire his most audacious con. The article mentioned that the Eiffel Tower was in need of expensive repairs and maintenance. The 36-year-old tower, originally intended as a temporary structure for the 1889 World's Fair, was showing signs of age and rust. The article speculated that it might be cheaper to demolish the tower than to maintain it.

Where others saw a simple news item, Lustig saw opportunity. If the French government was considering scrapping the tower, perhaps he could pose as a government official and "sell" the rights to demolish it and salvage the valuable metal—estimated at 7,000 tons of steel.

Paris in 1925, showing the Eiffel Tower dominating the skyline
Paris in 1925. The Eiffel Tower was already an iconic structure but was expensive to maintain during post-war economic challenges.

Setting the Stage

With meticulous attention to detail, Lustig began to craft his elaborate scheme:

  1. Creating the identity: Lustig obtained forged government stationery and had fake business cards printed identifying himself as the "Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs."
  2. Targeting marks: He researched and identified six prominent scrap metal dealers in Paris—men who had the financial means to make the purchase and whose reputations might be damaged if they admitted to falling for a scam.
  3. The invitation: Lustig sent official-looking letters to these six dealers, inviting them to a confidential meeting at the prestigious Hôtel de Crillon to discuss a "government matter of the utmost importance."
  4. The setup: He rented a luxurious suite at the hotel, where he would meet with the dealers as a group.

The Perfect Con

When the scrap dealers arrived at the Hôtel de Crillon, Lustig welcomed them with the smooth confidence of a high-ranking government official. He explained that they had been selected for a very delicate and confidential matter. The French government, he revealed, had made the difficult decision to dismantle the Eiffel Tower due to structural concerns and mounting maintenance costs.

To make his story more plausible, Lustig outlined the political challenges: the tower was beloved by Parisians, so the government wanted to handle the matter discreetly. The dealers were sworn to secrecy about the project. Lustig then took the group on a tour of the tower, where he pointed out "structural issues" and spoke with workers (actually his confederates) who confirmed the tower's poor condition.

The next day, Lustig asked each dealer to submit a bid for the project. He hinted that the job would require not just money but discretion and political sensitivity—qualities that would be considered alongside the financial offer.

Closing the Deal

After receiving the bids, Lustig identified André Poisson as the ideal mark. Poisson was relatively new to the business world and eager to establish himself among Paris's business elite. This made him particularly vulnerable to Lustig's manipulation.

Lustig informed Poisson that he had won the contract, but then introduced another element to his con. During a private meeting, he appeared distressed and confessed that his government salary was inadequate. The implication was clear: a bribe was expected to secure the deal.

This staged "confession" was a stroke of genius. Not only did it make Lustig seem more authentic (a legitimate government official might indeed be corrupt), but it also made Poisson less likely to check the deal's legitimacy. After all, if this were a government scam, why would the official admit to taking bribes?

Poisson paid both the "sale price" for the Eiffel Tower and a substantial bribe. Lustig provided him with elaborate but completely fraudulent contracts and deed transfers, then quickly left Paris with his associate, "Count" Dany Crastor (aka Robert Tourbillon), for Vienna.

The Second Sale

Lustig carefully monitored Parisian newspapers, expecting to see headlines about the audacious scam. But days passed, then weeks, with no news of the fraud. Poisson, humiliated by his gullibility and unwilling to face public ridicule, had chosen not to report the crime to the police.

With astonishing boldness, Lustig returned to Paris a month later and repeated the entire scam with a different group of scrap dealers. This time, however, the chosen victim became suspicious and checked with the actual government ministry before handing over any money. Lustig was forced to flee to the United States before he could complete the second sale.

The Later Years

In America, Lustig continued his criminal career with various scams. He formed a partnership with the infamous gangster Al Capone, who gave him $50,000 to invest in a stock deal. Lustig simply kept the money in a safe deposit box for two months, then returned it to Capone, claiming the deal had fallen through. Impressed by Lustig's apparent honesty, Capone rewarded him with $5,000—which had been Lustig's actual goal all along.

Lustig's most consistent American scam was a counterfeit money operation he ran with chemist Tom Shaw. Their bills were of such high quality that they were almost indistinguishable from genuine currency. But in 1935, Lustig's luck ran out when his mistress, Billy May, turned him in to federal authorities after an argument.

Arrested for counterfeiting, Lustig was sentenced to 20 years in the federal penitentiary at Alcatraz. He died of pneumonia in prison on March 11, 1947, taking many of his secrets to the grave.

The Psychology of the Perfect Con

What made Lustig so effective as a con artist? Several psychological principles were at play in his schemes:

  • Authority: By posing as a government official, Lustig leveraged people's tendency to comply with authority figures.
  • Scarcity: The "exclusive" opportunity to purchase the tower created a sense of urgency and privilege.
  • Social proof: Meeting with multiple dealers simultaneously made each individual more likely to believe the scenario was legitimate.
  • Consistency: Once the dealers took the first steps (attending the meeting, submitting bids), they became psychologically committed to seeing the process through.
  • The "perfect mark": Lustig carefully selected victims whose ambition or pride would prevent them from admitting they had been duped.
  • The false flaw: By admitting to corruption, Lustig paradoxically increased his credibility—a perfect government agent would seem suspicious, but a flawed one seemed real.

Lustig's Legacy

Today, Victor Lustig is remembered as one of the most creative and daring con artists in history. His "Ten Commandments for Con Men" have become famous as a window into the psychology of deception:

  1. Be a patient listener (it is this, not fast talking, that gets a con man his coups).
  2. Never look bored.
  3. Wait for the other person to reveal any political opinions, then agree with them.
  4. Let the other person reveal religious views, then have the same ones.
  5. Hint at sex talk, but don't follow it up unless the other person shows a strong interest.
  6. Never discuss illness, unless some special concern is shown.
  7. Never pry into a person's personal circumstances (they'll tell you all eventually).
  8. Never boast. Just let your importance be quietly obvious.
  9. Never be untidy.
  10. Never get drunk.

The Eiffel Tower, of course, still stands as one of the world's most recognizable landmarks, welcoming nearly 7 million visitors annually. And among the countless stories associated with it, the tale of the smooth-talking con man who "sold" it twice remains one of the most entertaining—a testament to both human ingenuity and gullibility.