Victor Lustig
Con artist who sold the Eiffel Tower twice.
Victor Lustig (4 January 1890 – 11 March 1947) was a con artist born in Austria-Hungary who ran scams across Europe and the United States in the early 1900s. He is remembered as one of the era’s most infamous swindlers, known for selling the Eiffel Tower twice and running the “Rumanian Box” scheme.
Lustig grew up in Hostinné (then called Arnau), in the Kingdom of Bohemia, as the middle of three children. His father, a tobacco salesman and former mayor, was reportedly abusive to his wife and children. At age eight, Lustig was made to sign a pledge to avoid alcohol and attend church, and he was forced into violin lessons he hated—once, during an argument, his father hit him over the head with the instrument. His parents divorced around 1898 but still lived together during the 1900 census. As a child, Lustig traveled with his father to Prague and Zurich, and at seven he saw Paris for the first time, describing the inner city as “exquisite” and the outskirts as a “sad, soiled place.” On his first day of infant school, he was expelled for telling a female teacher an obscenity in German. He then attended a one-room school in Čermná, where classmates liked him for his bold personality and impressions of military leaders. A 1902 school report called him “retarded morally, an idiot in other respects.” By thirteen, he took up boxing and, despite chronic migraines and breathing problems from sinus swelling, never missed a day. In 1904, he ran away for a week, then was sent to a boarding school in Dresden, where he learned English, French, Italian, and Hungarian (some sources say five or six languages) and studied design. His granddaughter claimed he excelled and stayed until his early twenties, but most biographers say he dropped out before turning seventeen. A childhood friend recalled that after a poor design grade in June 1906, Lustig returned to Hostinné, got drunk, and complained about elitism and unfairness. The next year, he sent postcards from Vienna, saying he would study law at Charles University. In 1909, after starting a semester at the Sorbonne in Paris, he began gambling and got a scar on the left side of his face from a jealous boyfriend. He then used his quick wit, ability to size up situations, and language skills to start a life of crime, eventually becoming a professional con man.
- Born
- 4 January 1890, Hostinné (Arnau), Kingdom of Bohemia, Austria-Hungary
- Died
- 11 March 1947
- Field
- Con artist
- Nationality
- Austria-Hungary
- Known for
- Selling the Eiffel Tower twice; Rumanian Box scam
Lore & Background
Lustig was born in Hostinné, the second of three children, to a German-speaking middle-class Catholic family. His father, a tobacco salesman and former mayor, was reportedly physically abusive. At age eight, Lustig was forced to sign an oath to abstain from alcohol and attend church, and he hated violin lessons, once being beaten over the head with the instrument by his father. His parents divorced around 1898 but still lived together during the 1900 census. As a child, he traveled across Europe with his father, recalling Paris as 'exquisite' in the inner city but a 'sad, soiled place' in the outer areas. He was expelled from infant school on his first day for obscenity, and a 1902 school report described him as 'retarded morally, an idiot in other respects.' By age thirteen he took up boxing, and in 1904 he ran away from home for a week. He was sent to boarding school in Dresden, where he learned several languages and took design courses, though most biographers state he dropped out before his 17th birthday. In 1909, after starting a semester at the Sorbonne, he took up gambling and sustained a scar on his left face from a jealous boyfriend. He then embarked on a life of crime.
Reader's Guide
Victor Lustig's significance lies in his audacious and psychologically shrewd cons, particularly the Eiffel Tower sale, which he executed twice. His methods exploited the greed and embarrassment of his marks, as seen when André Poisson did not report the fraud. Lustig's career illustrates the vulnerabilities in early 20th-century business and legal systems, where cross-border crime could thrive. His legacy endures as a archetype of the confidence trickster, studied in criminology and popular culture. The Rumanian Box scam further demonstrates his ability to blend mechanical deception with theatrical demonstration. Despite his notoriety, details of his early life remain disputed, such as his education duration and language fluency. His story serves as a cautionary tale about trust and due diligence.
Did You Know?
- Lustig was expelled from infant school on his first day for telling a female teacher 'Leck mich am Arsch' ('Kiss my ass').
- He sustained a defining scar on the left side of his face from the jealous boyfriend of a woman he consorted with.
- Lustig sold the Eiffel Tower twice in 1925, the second time after finding no police report of the first scam.
- He once sold a Rumanian Box to a Texas sheriff for thousands of dollars.
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