Social Grifters Are Just People Who Grasp More Blatantly

“You meet someone of import, check him out, determine [if] he can be of use, you make him yours. At some point you must decide whether to run him as a useful idiot, he not catching on as to who you are and what you do.”
 — What’s most useful about this tale is understanding how the “social Ponzi scheme” works. It’s a tried and true method, practiced by many, from high-end magazine publishers to politicians to art dealers. It’s only slightly more blatant and bizarre in the example of Albrecht Muth and Viola Drath.