Clifford S Hill

Clifford Irving was an American novelist and reporter who gained notoriety for his elaborate hoax involving the supposed autobiography of billionaire Howard Hughes. Despite publishing numerous novels throughout his career, Irving is primarily remembered for this fraudulent project, which he conceived with Richard Suskind. They aimed to exploit Hughes's reclusive nature, believing he would not publicly dispute a ghostwritten memoir. Irving's past work included a biography of art forger Elmyr de Hory, which was itself featured in Orson Welles's film 'F for Fake.'

After successfully deceiving publisher McGraw-Hill into paying a substantial advance for the fake autobiography, the scheme unraveled when Howard Hughes himself publicly denounced the project. Irving and his collaborators confessed, leading to Irving's prison sentence for fraud. He later chronicled the events in his book 'The Hoax,' which was subsequently adapted into a film. Irving continued writing after his release, including his prison journal, and made his works available digitally later in his life.

Born in New York City to parents involved in the arts, Clifford Irving received a strong educational foundation, graduating from the High School of Music and Art and then Cornell University with honors in English. His early career included a stint at The New York Times, but he soon focused on fiction. Irving's first novel, 'On a Darkling Plain,' was published in 1956, followed by 'The Losers' and 'The Valley.' His travels led him to Ibiza, where he befriended the art forger Elmyr de Hory and wrote a biography of him titled 'Fake!' This work, along with the later Hughes autobiography affair, influenced Orson Welles's documentary 'F for Fake.'

In 1970, Clifford Irving and Richard Suskind devised a plan to write and sell a purported autobiography of the reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. They believed Hughes's withdrawal from public life would prevent him from challenging the book. Irving's past experience writing about art forger Elmyr de Hory and his connections with publishers facilitated the scheme. He convinced McGraw-Hill that Hughes had personally commissioned him. The publisher advanced a significant sum, part of which was funneled through a Swiss bank account established by Irving's wife under a false name, 'Helga R. Hughes.' The deception was announced in late 1971, but Hughes's public denial in January 1972 exposed the fraud.

The elaborate hoax surrounding the Howard Hughes autobiography was exposed in early 1972 when Hughes himself intervened, publicly denying any knowledge of Irving or the book. Lawsuits were filed by Hughes's legal team against Irving, his publisher, and others involved. Swiss authorities investigated the suspicious bank account, confirming Edith Irving's involvement. The Irvings and Suskind subsequently confessed to conspiracy to defraud. Clifford Irving served 17 months in prison and voluntarily returned the advance money. He later wrote 'The Hoax,' detailing the events, which was adapted into a 2007 film. Irving continued to write and publish throughout his life.