Irving, Clifford (1930–)

AUTHOR CLIFFORD Irving perpetrated a literary hoax by pretending that he was helping Howard Hughes (1905–76) write an authorized biography. The sizeable public interest in Hughes, billionaire adventurer, aviation pioneer and movie mogul, an entrepreneur with deep involvement at the highest political levels of government, was due to his seclusion and eccentric habits. Hughes had not been seen in public nor made any public statement for many years. Irving firmly believed that the reclusive Hughes would not come out of reclusion to refute the fabrication.

Irving approached his publisher, McGraw-Hill, in 1971 with the story that he had a manuscript based on letters and interviews with Hughes, whom he claimed authorized the biography. This literary coup would have resulted in a major bestseller for McGraw-Hill because millions of people wanted to know what had become of Hughes, and why he had withdrawn from public life. Once the documents were signed, with Irving supplying a forged Hughes signature, McGraw-Hill offered him a $765,000 advance. Life magazine, a glossy popular mass-market weekly, also agreed to run the story offering a $250,000 advance. The Dell Publishing Company offered a $400,000 advance for paperback rights. Checks payable to Hughes were illegally cashed by Irving's wife Edith.

Irving was inundated with requests for interviews. He played the game with gusto, thoroughly enjoying the celebrity status it brought him. Irving and his researcher and collaborator, Richard Suskind, benefited form a manuscript written by Noah Dietrich, Hughes's right-hand man and accountant, and used it as a basis for their deception, delivering the manuscript in 1971.

However, the ruse came to an end when Hughes made a totally unexpected telephone conference call on January 7, 1972, denouncing Irving's claim. Although Hughes had not been heard from in years, experts verified his voice. Hughes stated he had never met with Irving. The signature and letters that Irving claimed were written by Hughes were declared to be fakes.

Irving finally admitted to the hoax in 1972. He had to return the $765,000 advance to McGraw-Hill. He was charged with 14 criminal counts: possession of forged documents; intent to defraud; grand larceny for stealing monies from McGraw-Hill; perjury; and conspiracy. His wife Edith and Suskind were convicted for their roles in the scheme. Irving was convicted of fraud and sentenced to two-and-a-half years but served only 17 months.

[Page 449]After his release from prison, Irving wrote many successful books. In 1981, he wrote The Hoax that was published in Great Britain. The fascination with the story was emphasized with the offer of a $500,000 publisher's advance. This was later withdrawn. The Hoax explains in great detail how the plot to write the Hughes biography mushroomed beyond Irving's control. The story escalates into a spy thriller involving the international jet set, intrigue at an enormous scale, and the machination of corporate executives. As of early 2004, Irving lived in Mexico and continued to write nonfiction books.