Witness History The Howard Hughes literary hoax
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Nov 26, 2025 
Clifford Irving, an acclaimed American writer turned notorious fraudster, shares his thrilling tale of fabricating a supposed autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. He reveals the audacious lengths he went to, including staging fake interviews and creating forged letters. Irving discusses the eccentric persona he crafted for Hughes, the unexpected consequences of his deception, and the eventual unraveling of his elaborate hoax. With candid reflections, he takes listeners through his regrets and the lessons learned from this infamous literary scam.
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Inventing Hughes Through Research And Imagination
- Clifford Irving and Richard Suskin researched extensively and invented scenes to build a fake Howard Hughes life.
- They combined library research with imagined dialogues to craft a convincing fictional manuscript.
Secrecy Amplified The Hoax Opportunity
- Howard Hughes's secrecy amplified public fascination and made him an ideal subject for a hoax.
- His reclusiveness created information gaps that Irving exploited to make claims harder to immediately disprove.
Role-Playing Tape Sessions To Fake Interviews
- Irving and Suskin role-played taped interviews, then erased the tapes after transcribing them.
- They edited the transcriptions to make the fake conversations more dramatic and believable.
