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A very interesting and brilliant fraud took place in New York between 2013 and 2017. Moreover, this fraud was committed by a woman of Russian origin who dreamed of establishing a startup. The woman we are talking about is Anna Delvey, as she introduces herself! Who actually was Anna Delvey, who made a name for herself with her series released on Netflix this year, and what was the real story of this woman? Let's take a look at the story of this woman who is thought to have defrauded even Silicon Valley, including New York high society.
Real name and origin
Although Anna introduces herself with the surname Delvey, she actually has a surname of Russian origin. Her real name is Anna Sorokin, the daughter of a family that emigrated from Russia to Germany with high hopes. Born in a working-class Russian town in 1991, Anna was always considered a quiet and composed child. The family, whose financial situation was bad, immigrated to Germany in the hope of financing themselves. At that time, good attitudes towards immigrants were not displayed in Germany. Anna felt left out and different. However, Anna's real difference was her bright mind and interest in fashion. As a young adult, she obsessively followed Vogue, LiveJournal, and various fashion blogs. This interest made his father spend a lot of money to buy expensive brand clothes. She quickly became a fashion icon in her high school.
Education and profession
Anna moved to London in 2011 to attend Central Saint Martins art school, but could not survive there for long. Returning to Germany, Anna convinced her family to move to Paris, the heart of fashion. He was earning €400 per month during his internship at Purple, a French fashion magazine, and his family was covering his rent. During this period, Anna began using the surname Delvey, which she claimed was her mother's maiden name, instead of Sorokin. Actually, of course, there was no such surname. Anna's next stop after Paris was New York. Anna, who could not get along with the unique people of Paris, realized that she could make friends more easily in New York and was transferred to Purple's office in New York. Thanks to her place of employment, her high fashion tastes and her brilliant intelligence, Anna quickly managed to infiltrate the closed society of New York.
Anna Delvey Foundation Initiative
After leaving Purple, Anna came up with the idea of establishing a private members' arts club called the "Anna Delvey Foundation". However, she was unable to obtain funds from wealthy members of her social circle. During this time, he made many people believe that he came from a noble and rich family by saying that he had a large fund in Germany to continue his luxurious life. While looking for other avenues, Anna came up with a truly grounded business plan for ADV (Anna Delvey Foundation). This plan included renting the 6-story, 45,000-square-foot Church Missions House, owned by RFR Holdings, as an events and art studio. Anna was getting planning help from the son of famous architect Santiago Calatrava. Everything was going according to plan. According to the business plan, with a loan of $40 million, Anna would be able to establish the foundation of her dreams. All famous artists, architects, big businessmen were involved in this and they really believed in Anna.
Forgotten and unpaid money
In the summer of 2014, Anna was playing the rich heiress card at a hotel party in Montauk, New York, and was telling the attendees how rich she was by showing off with the clothes she wore and the money she spent. But at the end of the night, she was always looking for a place to sleep. She was found sleeping in a car the morning of that night. She would organize parties by inviting the few people she knew and had her friends pay the bill. She was saying that her father did not send her money and that her funds would be deposited soon. Everyone believed him because they had reason to believe. Anna met art collector Michael Xufu Huang at a dinner in 2015. Huang was going to attend the Venice Biennale and Anna asked if she could come with him. Huang booked flights and a hotel room for Anna. However, when they returned, Anna pretended to forget and did not pay Huang at all. Anna continued to live her luxurious life with many similar events.
Gap of social classes
No one can ask rich people for a credit card, they believe they will pay somehow. They save them from the unnecessary hassle of paying money. It is considered very rude for a waiter to come and ask for payment like this. Anna had noticed this vulnerability and used it to her advantage. She even rented a private jet using this method. She rented the most expensive suite in Marrakesh, where she took her close friends, and paid for it with the company card of one of her close friends. This event was what brought Anna's end. Her close friend Rachel reported this to the police and ensured Anna's arrest. Rachel wrote about the trauma she experienced after having Anna arrested in Vanity Fair and interviewed abcNews. Thanks to the story, which attracted a lot of people's attention, Rachel earned thousands of dollars. The interesting thing is that Anna was being tried for many fraud crimes. One of the crimes for which he was acquitted was the hotel fee he made Rachel pay. Anna's outfits were featured throughout the trial on the @annadelveycourtlooks Instagram account.
Is ADV real or fake?
Even though Anna defrauded many people, she wrote a story that revealed that discrimination between social classes is real. She showed us how to open doors that many of us cannot open with intelligence and hard work, with good fashion knowledge and branded dresses. Moreover, Anna was really close to opening ADV. If she could somehow prove the documents proving that she was an heiress, would we talk about Anna today as the founder of the ADV club and a successful female entrepreneur, rather than as a fraudster? If Anna really got her loan, would she pay off all her debts? The answers to these questions will remain hidden in Anna's bright and interesting thoughts.
Bonus: Anna's story debuted on Netflix this year with the series Inventing Anna. Anna made a $320 million deal with Netflix for the rights to the movie. Although most of this money went towards his penance, the remainder was given to Anna. Anna currently lives her life as a free woman.