Harebrained Schemes

You'd think that after "selling" the Eiffel Tower (twice), a conman would retire for good. You'd think so, but you'd be wrong! Follow Bibi and Sibel through the incredulous life and adventures of Count Victor Lustig, the quintessential con artist who quite literally wrote the Ten Commandments of the Con. This episode is a-laugh-a-minute and an absolute good time!

Podcast Socials: https://linktr.ee/hairbrainedschemes

Episode References:

Victor Lustig: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Lustig

Who sold the Eiffel Tower?: https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/news/history-and-culture/who-sold-eiffel-tower

The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice.: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/man-who-sold-eiffel-tower-twice-180958370/

The man who sold the Eiffel Tower: the story of an incredible scam: https://www.unjourdeplusaparis.com/en/paris-reportage/incroyable-escroquerie-homme-qui-a-vendu-la-tour-eiffel

To mark the release of "Inventing Anna", the Netflix show based on Anna Sorokin which we mentioned in the original run, we're presenting the episode again this week!

When Anna Sorokin moved to New York and invented the alter-ego that captivated the collective imagination of the entire upper echelon of The Big Apple's rich and famous, it seemed like a scheme too good to fail.

As Anna Delvey, she inspired dreams of exclusive access to art and culture, all the while grifting her way through New York's finest hotels and into the inner circles of celebrities, tech entrepreneurs and even some of America's most recognizable billionaires.

Enjoy the first Christmas episode of the show!

Podcast Socials:

https://linktr.ee/hairbrainedschemes


Episode References:

Anna Sorokin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Sorokin

Maybe She Had So Much Money She Just Lost Track of It. Somebody had to foot the bill for Anna Delvey’s fabulous new life. The city was full of marks. https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/how-anna-delvey-tricked-new-york.html

Fake heiress Anna Sorokin: 'Crime pays, in a way' https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56339463

Inventing Anna (Netflix): https://www.netflix.com/title/81008305?trkid=13710079&MSG_TITLE=81008305&lnktrk=EMP&g=0A4E691C1E28BAF522BE353D0CCD5DB864522F0B&lkid=mdpLink&source=pnums

In a story of perhaps the most ghastly greed ever discussed on this podcast, here's a look at the healthcare scheme concocted and executed by Michael Drobot, a once-respected and nationally-recognized hospital administrator and owner.

Through self-dealing, bribery and a complete lack of ethics, Drobot managed to build a billion-dollar con empire that severely undermined the trustworthiness of the healthcare system.

Podcast Socials: https://linktr.ee/hairbrainedschemes

Episode References:

Michael Drobot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Drobot

Convicted Leader of Billion-Dollar Health Care Scam to Plead Guilty to Violating Court Forfeiture Order by Illegally Selling His Luxury Cars: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/convicted-leader-billion-dollar-health-care-scam-plead-guilty-violating-court

Imprisoned CdM man faces new federal charges for illegally selling luxury cars after fraud conviction: https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2019-07-26/imprisoned-newport-beach-man-faces-new-federal-charges-for-illegally-selling-luxury-cars-after-medical-fraud

Former Hospital Owner Sentenced to over 5 Years in Prison for Orchestrating Scheme that Paid over $40 Million in Illegal Kickbacks to Doctors, Other Medical Professionals for Spinal Surgery Referrals: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/former-hospital-owner-sentenced-over-5-years-prison-orchestrating-scheme-paid-over-40

With the glorification of the "fake it 'til you make it" mantra in Silicon Valley, was it really any surprise that one Elizabeth Anne Holmes thought she could smokescreen her way into becoming the most celebrated medical technology inventor of the decade or even century? And it would have worked too, if it wasn't for the meddling reporter John Carreyrou.

At the height of her glory, she was the most celebrated woman in tech and was already being compared to Steve Jobs. A few weeks ago, she was found guilty on a bunch of charges related to her time as CEO of the overpromising, underdelivering and fraudulent Theranos.

Join Bibi and Sibel in another hilarious episode complete with breathless laughter and ridiculous banter.

Podcast Socials:

https://linktr.ee/hairbrainedschemes

Pitch A Podcast Idea:

https://thepodpirenetwork.com/pitchapod

Episode References:

Elizabeth Holmes https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Holmes

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes convicted on 4 counts of fraud https://abcnews.go.com/US/elizabeth-holmes-trial-jury-unable-unanimous-verdict-counts/story?id=82055043

Theranos scandal: Who is Elizabeth Holmes and why was she on trial? https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58336998

Chances are, you already know what WeWork is. Perhaps you've even worked out of one of their locations. But did you know about the megalomania, toxic culture and booze-soaked parties that were standard fare at the company that Adam Neumann created?

Dive into this episode to learn about the billionaire ex-captain who attempted to become tech's most eccentric CEO and the ill-conceived schemes that seemed almost intentionally designed to run the organization into the ground.

Podcast Socials:

https://linktr.ee/hairbrainedschemes

Pitch A Podcast Idea:

https://thepodpirenetwork.com/pitchapod

Episode References:

Adam Neumann https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Neumann

Adam Neumann hosts booze-soaked party as WeWork stock soars in debut https://nypost.com/2021/10/21/adam-neumann-hosts-booze-soaked-party-as-wework-stock-soars-in-debut/

The shocking and rude ways WeWork’s ex-CEO Adam Neumann treated staff https://nypost.com/2021/07/17/the-shocking-ways-weworks-ex-ceo-adam-neumann-treated-staff/

The WeWork Con https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/11/wework-adam-neumann-con-artist-grifter-entrepreneur

WeWork Is the Most Ridiculous IPO of 2019 https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/08/27/wework-is-the-most-ridiculous-ipo-of-2019/?sh=16be52771ad6

In the late 1690s, with England seemingly booming with all kinds of fun ventures like colonialism and slavery, Scotland was very much in search of its own golden ticket out of the horrible economic hardships it had dealt with for the greater part of a decade.

This was the fertile soil in which William Paterson was able to plant the seed of colonizing Darien (present-day Panama) in order to control trade between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. There was just one problem: It was a spectacularly bad idea.

Welcome to the first episode of 2022, where Bibi and Sibel tell you all about it, with their trademark sense of humor and effortless banter.

Pitch A Podcast Idea:

https://thepodpirenetwork.com/pitchapod

Episode References:

William Paterson (banker) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Paterson_(banker)

Darien scheme https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darien_scheme

The Darien Scheme https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-Darien-Scheme/

Inside The Darién Scheme, Scotland’s Miserably Failed Attempt To Build A Colony In The Americas https://allthatsinteresting.com/darien-scheme

Scotland's Empire https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00522lm

The Darien Scheme - Scotland's Doomed Colony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3LUhIAla7c

The Darien scheme, Scotland and the union with England https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFCbVtUxs9A

How the Darien Scheme Changed the History of Scotland’s Independence https://www.historicmysteries.com/darien-scheme/

It's the final episode of the year and Bibi and Sibel close out a consequential 2021 with an extra-special episode of laughs and hijinks. Welcome to the epic tale of General Gregor MacGregor, the Scotsman who created the fictional country of Poyais and conned the best and brightest in England and France!

Follow the story of the young boy who joined the British royal military in quest of wealth and glory and ended up being a celebrated anti-colonialist freedom-fighter in Venezuela.

Podcast Socials:

https://linktr.ee/hairbrainedschemes

Pitch A Podcast Idea:

https://thepodpirenetwork.com/pitchapod

Episode References:

Gregor MacGregor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_MacGregor#1826_acquittal_of_fraud

Gregor MacGregor, Prince of Poyais https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/Gregor-MacGregor-Prince-Of-Poyais/

Gregor MacGregor, the Prince of Poyais https://www.historytoday.com/miscellanies/gregor-macgregor-prince-poyais

When Anna Sorokin moved to New York and invented the alter-ego that captivated the collective imagination of the entire upper echelon of The Big Apple's rich and famous, it seemed like a scheme too good to fail.

As Anna Delvey, she inspired dreams of exclusive access to art and culture, all the while grifting her way through New York's finest hotels and into the inner circles of celebrities, tech entrepreneurs and even some of America's most recognizable billionaires.

Enjoy the first Christmas episode of the show!

Podcast Socials:

https://linktr.ee/hairbrainedschemes

Pitch A Podcast Idea:

https://thepodpirenetwork.com/pitchapod

Episode References:

Anna Sorokin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Sorokin

Maybe She Had So Much Money She Just Lost Track of It. Somebody had to foot the bill for Anna Delvey’s fabulous new life. The city was full of marks. https://www.thecut.com/2018/05/how-anna-delvey-tricked-new-york.html

Fake heiress Anna Sorokin: 'Crime pays, in a way' https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56339463

No matter how outrageous or outlandish the scheme, Timmy Dex could not lose! Hop onto perhaps the most hilarious episode yet with Bibi and Sibel as they tell you about the legendary Massachusetts "nobleman", Timothy Dexter! Clearly especially blessed by the gods, the man defied all logic , making millions on gut instinct and a second-grade education, much to the consternation and chagrin of the Newburyport elite.

Podcast Socials:

https://linktr.ee/hairbrainedschemes

Pitch A Podcast Idea:

https://thepodpirenetwork.com/pitchapod

Episode References:

Timothy Dexter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Dexter

Timothy Dexter, the Ridiculous Millionaire Who Sold Coals to Newcastle https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/timothy-dexter-ridiculous-millionaire-sold-coals-newcastle/

The Strange Life Of ‘Lord’ Timothy Dexter, The Eccentric 18th-Century Millionaire Whose Success Defied Reason https://allthatsinteresting.com/timothy-dexter

Timothy Dexter: The Dumbest Rags-to-Riches Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChSUvdU_Sbk

The Absolute Legend That was Lord Timothy Dexter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2uEwDTHwnU

The Strange Life of the LUCKIEST Millionaire Ever | Timothy Dexter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVVojh7_u7k

Few schemes in history have been more harebrained or almost inevitably doomed to fail than Billy McFarland's 2017 Fyre Festival. With promotion that captured the collective imagination of the world's social media faithful, Fyre was billed to give both Coachella and Burning Man a run for their money.

However, what Billy would soon learn, along with a few thousand stranded would-be revelers, was that it typically takes more than high-octane bro energy, some PowerPoint slides and half-a-dozen-or-so secretly-paid influencers to successfully pull off the greatest music festival of all time.

Bibi and Sibel dive into the hilarious lead-up to the disastrous weekend on Great Exuma, and the very real consequences suffered by ticket-holders, vendors and the island's local community alike.

Podcast Socials:

https://linktr.ee/hairbrainedschemes

Episode References:

Fyre Festival https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyre_Festival

Billy McFarland (fraudster) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_McFarland_(fraudster)

Ja Rule https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ja_Rule

Fyre Festival: Inside the world's biggest festival flop https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46904445

FYRE FESTIVAL https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/white-collar-crime/fyre-festival/

Fyre Festival: The World's Largest Festival Scam: https://www.lawinsider.org/post/fyre-festival-the-world-s-largest-festival-scam

Fyre Festival attendees stand to recover almost nothing from bankruptcy https://nypost.com/2021/07/07/fyre-festival-attendees-stand-to-recover-almost-nothing-from-bankruptcy/

42 Disastrous Facts About Fyre Festival https://www.factinate.com/things/facts-fyre-festival/

Fyre Festival: How a 25-year-old scammed investors out of $26 million https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/18/how-fyre-festivals-organizer-scammed-investors-out-of-26-million.html