by Jessica Pressler Read the Original
Summary Notes
Anna Delvey tricked many people in New York's party scene with her mysterious wealth and generous gifts. She borrowed money from people, claiming she would pay them back, but eventually failed to do so. She was arrested for fraud and is now in jail, facing charges of grand larceny. She managed to convince people despite not being "superhot" or "super-charming," and commented on the unlimited amount of capital in the world and the limited amount of talented people.
Key Learnings
- Anna Delvey was not particularly attractive or charming, yet she was able to convince many people with her mysterious wealth and generosity.
- Anna asked people to book her tickets and hotel stays on their credit cards, but she often forgot to pay them back.
- She was planning to open a 45,000 square foot art center, but was unable to pay her bills and the project never materialized.
- Anna was arrested for fraud and is now in jail, facing charges of grand larceny.
- Anna commented on the unlimited amount of capital in the world and the limited amount of talented people.
- Summary Notes
- Key Learnings
- Neffatari Davis: Hotel Concierge & Unofficial Therapist
- Anna Delvey: Generous Hotel Guest & Friend
- Mysterious Socialite Anna's Lavish Lifestyle
- Anna Delvey's Lavish Lifestyle & Failed Art Center Dreams
- Anna Delvey's $25M Scheme Involves Goyard, Rolexes & Martin Shkreli
- Anna's Generosity Rewarded in Time of Need
- Anna Delvey's Luxurious Hotel Stay Ends With Unpaid Bill
- Anna's Outrageous Trip To Omaha and Morocco
- Anna Struggles to Leave 11 Howard
- Anna Delvey's Theft of Service Charges Leads to Rikers Island Stay
- Anna's Fraud Lands Her in Jail, Sparks Sociological Experiment
- Anna Delvey: From Germany to Fraud Charges
- Anna Delvey's Rise to Deception in New York's Elite Crowd
Neffatari Davis: Hotel Concierge & Unofficial Therapist
Neffatari Davis, a 25-year-old concierge at 11 Howard, is surprised when a young woman named Anna Delvey slips her a $100 bill and asks for recommendations for the best food in Soho. Over the next few weeks, Neff realizes that Delvey already knows the cool places to go and soon finds herself playing therapist to other hotel guests. “This is not a guest that needs my help,” it dawned on her. “This is a guest that wants my time.” Anna Delvey wanted more than just guidance, she wanted people to invest their time in her, enabling her to carry out her elaborate plans.
Anna Delvey: Generous Hotel Guest & Friend
Anna Delvey was a generous guest at the 11 Howard hotel and often treated her "de facto secretary" Neff to meals and luxuries. Despite her eccentricities, Anna always paid cash and was generous to everyone, from Uber drivers to personal trainers. "People would fight to take her packages upstairs,” said Neff. “Fight, because you knew you were getting $100.” Anna's generosity was so great that people were willing to put up a fight to do her a favor, knowing they would be handsomely rewarded. This speaks to the power of her wealth and how it enabled her to convince people to do things for her.
Mysterious Socialite Anna's Lavish Lifestyle
Anna was a mysterious figure on the New York social scene, always at the best parties and often flying in on private jets. She asked people to book her tickets and hotel on their credit cards and promised to pay them back, but she often forgot. Her wealth was mysterious, but people assumed she was so rich she just didn't keep track of her money. "Stop sinking into your body,” the trainer commanded Anna. “Shoulders back, navel to spine. You are a bright woman; you want to be a businesswoman. You gotta be staying strong on your own power.” Anna's determination and ambition were evident, as the trainer recognized her potential and pushed her to succeed. This reflects her capacity to think big, as evidenced by her 45,000 square foot art center project.
Anna Delvey's Lavish Lifestyle & Failed Art Center Dreams
Anna Delvey threw lavish parties and traveled the world, leading people to speculate as to where her money came from. She had ambitious plans to open a 45,000 square foot art center, but ultimately was unable to pay her bills and the project never materialized. Big names in the food and beverage world, including André Balazs and Richie Notar, had met with her in the hopes of being involved in the project, believing her family was providing the funds. “Dump him,” Anna advised. “I have more money.” Anna was able to convince Neff to end her relationship with her rich boyfriend by claiming to have more money. This shows that Anna was able to manipulate people through her promise of wealth, despite not being particularly attractive or charming.
Anna Delvey's $25M Scheme Involves Goyard, Rolexes & Martin Shkreli
Anna Delvey needed $25 million to fund a project, so she turned to Joel Cohen & Gibson Dunn. Andy Lance helped her find financial institutions, but she had to provide UBS statements. Anna started inviting wealthy people with Goyard briefcases & Rolexes to her dinners, including Martin Shkreli. Anna was mad when Neff tweeted that they had heard Lil Wayne's leaked album. “She was wearing really fancy clothing” — Balenciaga, or maybe Alaïa — “and someone mentioned that she flew in on a private jet.” Anna was able to maintain the illusion of wealth and power by wearing expensive clothing and flying in on private jets. This indicates the extent to which she was able to fool people into believing in her mysterious wealth.
Anna's Generosity Rewarded in Time of Need
Anna was leasing a property from Aby Rosen's sons and was spending a lot of time working on her project. She had cash-flow issues and one night her card was declined at dinner. Neff, who had benefited from Anna's generosity, paid the bill. Anna said her friends were mad she left Purple. “As far as I knew, her family was the Delvey family that is big in antiques in Germany,” said another acquaintance, a millionaire tech CEO. People believed Anna's assertions about her wealth, even when her claims seemed far-fetched. This quote in particular highlights the power of her deception, as even a millionaire tech CEO was convinced of her family's supposed wealth.
Anna Delvey's Luxurious Hotel Stay Ends With Unpaid Bill
Anna Delvey had been staying at 11 Howard for an unusually long time and had not paid her bill. Though the hotel was hesitant to accept a wire transfer, it eventually came through and Anna gifted staff with a case of Dom Perignon. She then left for Omaha to meet Warren Buffett and although hotel staff had warned her about her unpaid bill, they eventually locked her out and put her things in storage. “Apparently her family was prominent in Germany,” Notar said, “and funding this big project for her.” Anna was able to convince people her family was wealthy and could fund her expensive project, even though it never materialized. This quote shows how Anna was able to take advantage of people's trust and willingness to believe her stories.
Anna's Outrageous Trip To Omaha and Morocco
Anna and her friends had a great time at a conference in Omaha. Afterward, she was outraged by the luxury the managers had enjoyed and threatened to purchase web domains in their names. She then planned a luxurious trip to Morocco, but the plan went awry when her credit cards didn't work and a friend had to pay her hotel bill. Anna eventually returned to 11 Howard in a Tesla and was picked up by a friend. “If we were to bring in investors, they would say, ‘Oh, she’s 25; she doesn’t know what she’s doing,’ ” Anna was aware of the prejudice she faced due to her age and gender, and wanted to prove her capabilities without the need for investors.
Anna Struggles to Leave 11 Howard
Anna was trying to make good on her promise to leave 11 Howard, but her mounting troubles included an unpaid hotel bill and an unpaid designer fee. After being locked out of her hotel rooms, Anna begged a trainer for a place to stay and eventually left her laptop behind. When the trainer sent her away, Anna returned to the lobby and waited for her to come home. "Anna did seem to be a popular ‘woman about town’ who knew everyone,” Despite not having any money, Anna was able to gain influence and connections from her mysterious wealth and generosity.
Anna Delvey's Theft of Service Charges Leads to Rikers Island Stay
Anna Delvey, a.k.a. Anna Sorokin, attempted to leave a restaurant without paying, resulting in theft of service charges. After hiring a lawyer, she asked for a place to stay and was shown a news headline that the building she wanted was no longer available. She remains in Rikers Island since October 2017. “You ever have someone do so many favors for you, you kind of just want to pay them back in silence?” Anna Delvey tried to make up for her debt to people by surprising them with her generosity and by not expecting anything in return. This speaks to her manipulative nature, as she was able to exploit people's kindness to her advantage.
Anna's Fraud Lands Her in Jail, Sparks Sociological Experiment
Anna committed fraud to secure a loan, sending forged wire transfer receipts and depositing bad checks. She was arrested in Malibu and brought back to NYC to face grand larceny charges. In jail, she viewed her incarceration as a sociological experiment and made friends with the murderers. “How do they even pay for that?” Anna fumed. Anna was envious of the other party's wealth, which allowed them to pursue the same venture as her. This shows how she felt a sense of entitlement and that she thought her wealth should be able to do anything.
Anna Delvey: From Germany to Fraud Charges
Anna Sorokin moved to Germany at 16, graduated high school and moved to London, then Paris, becoming Anna Delvey. Her parents supported her financially, but she was arrested and is now in jail, facing charges of fraud. She denies guilt and is frustrated with how she's being portrayed. “They think because I am young, they think I have all this money,” she sobbed. Anna's age made people assume she had access to unlimited wealth, which she used to her advantage by taking advantage of their trust.
Anna Delvey's Rise to Deception in New York's Elite Crowd
Anna Delvey saw the soul of New York and realized if she distracted people with money, they wouldn't see her deception. Despite not being “superhot” or “super-charming,” she managed to convince many people. Anna commented on the unlimited amount of capital in the world and the limited amount of talented people. “I’d love to buy it for you,” Anna said. Anna's generosity was one of her most effective tools to win people over and gain trust, even when she was unable to pay back what she owed.