Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and the timeline of a Royal courtship: from an under-wraps relationship to an engagement that thrilled Britain Holly Ramsay puts on a leggy display as she cosies up to boyfriend Adam Peaty before cradling newborn brother Jesse in a slew of sweet snaps Born in 1890 in a wealthy family from the Bohemian region (former Austria-Hungary), Victor Lustig studied rather brilliantly. But work do not interest him, and the young man prefers to use his intelligence for a much more lucrative activity: swindling.

Whether the count smiled one of his characteristically shrewd grins, scratched his chin while deep in thought, or narrowed his heavily-lidded eyes - we can only speculate! But it must have gone something like that. Lighting a gold-tipped cigarette from a heavy in-lay lighter he would have slowly inhaled, put down the paper and looked out at Paris from his balcony. Staring at the beautiful tower in the distance - thinking this was his boldest plan yet.During his time with the dealers, Lustig kept watch on who would be the most likely to fall for his scam and found his mark in André Poisson—an insecure man who wished to rise up amongst the inner circles of the Parisian business community. [6] As Poisson showed the keenest interest in purchasing the monument, Lustig decided to focus on him once the dealers sent their bids to him. [6] Arranging a private meeting with Poisson, Lustig convinced him that he was a corrupt official, claiming that his government position did not give him a generous salary for the lifestyle he wished to enjoy. [7] Believing the sale of the Eiffel Tower would secure him a place amongst the top businessmen, Poisson agreed to pay a large bribe to secure ownership of the Eiffel Tower. However, once Lustig received his bribe and the funds for the monument's "sale" (around 70,000 francs), he soon fled to Austria. [5] Ant and Dec urge I'm A Celeb fans to create more 'chaos' in the Jungle by hinting who viewers should vote for as Camp Leader Finally caught: While his daughter remembers him as a devoted father who was kind to his friends, law enforcement described him as an 'unscrupulous criminal felon – a character without morals or pity'. Pictured, Lustig (centre) is questioned by police in New York in 1935

Lustig’s brush with the law wasn’t enough to deter his criminal exploits. Upon returning to America, he continued his life of crime. For Lustig, it wasn’t just about the money. It was about the challenge and proving he was smarter than other people. This led him to carry out his most dangerous con yet. Pretending to be a window cleaner, he casually wiped at windows as he shimmied down the building in front of dozens of onlookers.

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Mortified at having been so thoroughly duped, and afraid of ruining his reputation in the city, Poisson never reported the crime.