Voting Station

Clifford Irving

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Author

The Resume

    (November 5, 1930-December 19, 2017)
    Wrote the novels 'On a Darkling Plain' (1956), 'The Losers' (1958), 'Tom Mix and Pancho Villa' (1981) and 'Final Argument' (1990)
    Wrote the non-fiction works 'Fake!' (1969) and 'Hoax!' (1981)
    Convinced publisher McGraw-Hill he had been authorized to ghostwrite the autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes (1971)

Why he might be annoying:

    He forged Hughes' handwriting on letters and contracts.
    He stole information for the 'autobiography' from an unpublished memoir by one of Hughes' ex-aides.
    He convinced his wife to pose as 'Helga R. Hughes' in order to launder McGraw-Hill's checks to 'H.R. Hughes' through a Swiss bank account.
    The hoax unraveled when Hughes placed a phone call to a group of reporters and said that he had never even met Irving.
    He spent 17 months in prison for fraud and was transferred to three different prisons because of his disruptive behavior.
    He had an affair with singer Nina van Pallandt through two of his marriages.

Why he might not be annoying:

    Although he had never seen an original sample of Hughes' handwriting, his forgeries fooled leading experts.
    He returned the $750,000 advance he had received from McGraw Hill.
    He was the subject of a documentary by Orson Welles.
    Asked by 'The Book of Lists' to name the 10 greatest forgers of all time, Irving included himself on the list.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 15 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 87 Votes: 49.43% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 10 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 83 Votes: 84.34% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 7 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 17 Votes: 58.82% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 17 Votes: 52.94% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 11 Votes: 72.73% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 22 Votes: 72.73% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 19 Votes: 57.89% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 32 Votes: 65.62% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 67 Votes: 68.66% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 67 Votes: 74.63% Annoying