Victor Lustig and the Eifel Tower

Victor lustig was a very successful and popular con artist. He is known as the man who sold the ifel tower. In 19 25, he travelled back to france in order to pull off his latest scam. Lustig convinced scrap metal dealers that the upkeep of the eiffel tower was becoming too much for paris. However, when wen lustig attempted to con another group of dealers, and had managed to find a mark among them willing to buy theIfel tower, the police were informed about the scam, and he fled to the us. That's from wicopedia. Quite fascinating.