Get All Access for $5/mo

The Fake Heiress Who Scammed One of the Richest Men in America Elizabeth "Betty" Bigley never met a dollar bill she didn't try to steal. Find out if her propensity for pilfering paid off on this week's episode of "Dirty Money."

By Dan Bova

IngaIvanova | Getty Images

Take a whimsical journey with us back in time to the late 1800s and meet Elizabeth "Betty" Bigley, a con woman who stole millions of dollars from people, banks and anyone else she could sink her teeth into. As you will hear, Betty (who had more than one alias) was absolutely tireless and fearless in her thievery. Her brazen attempt to bilk money from her "dad" Andrew Carnegie is truly one for the record books. (Spoiler alert: He was not her dad and it did not work.)

Related: Doctor Makes Millions Performing Bizarre Implant Surgery

Speaking of books, on this episode we're joined by true crime writer Railey Jane Savage, who details the misadventures of Bigley and many other huxters in her wonderful book A Century of Swindles: Ponzi Schemes, Con Men & Fraudsters.

Thanks for listening and please do not commit the crime of not leaving us a review. The true-crime podcast police are watching!

Subscribe to Dirty Money on Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play

About Dirty Money

Dirty Money is a new podcast series from Entrepreneur Media telling the tales of legendary scammers, con artists, and barely-legal lowlifes who stop at nothing to bilk their marks of millions. Hosted by Entrepreneur editors Dan Bova and Jon Small, the podcast takes a deep dive into the deviants behind the deeds.

Related: Did the FBI Bust or Botch a Massive Chicago Stock Scam?

Dan Bova

Entrepreneur Staff

VP of Special Projects

Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com. He previously worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maxim, and Spy magazine. His latest books for kids include This Day in History, Car and Driver's Trivia ZoneRoad & Track Crew's Big & Fast Cars, The Big Little Book of Awesome Stuff, and Wendell the Werewolf

Read his humor column This Should Be Fun if you want to feel better about yourself.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

7 AI Secrets Every Entrepreneur Must Know: AI Quiz and Breaking News from OpenAI You Can't Miss

Check out these 7 critical questions from our unique quiz that uncovers the AI secrets every entrepreneur must know!

Leadership

Want to Get The Most Out of AI? Start Treating AI Like Your Human Employees

The latest AI agents are capable of fantastic growth and evolution — if we learn to coach them past their mistakes

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Is One Company to Blame for Soaring Rental Prices in the U.S.?

The FBI recently raided a major corporate landlord while investigating a rent price-fixing scheme. Here's what we know.

Business News

Elon Musk's Proposed $56 Billion Pay Package Is 'Obviously Not About the Money,' Writes Tesla Chair

Tesla's chairperson of the board of directors sent a letter to Tesla shareholders, warning them that the company could lose Elon's attention if they don't approve his pay package.