3 Money Lessons from Infamous Scam Artists | J Mase III | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

I'm here to share a truth with you.

我來這裡跟大家坦誠一件事。

And so I am ready to share my truth.

我準備好坦誠了。

And the truth is,

事實就是，

I love scam artists.

我喜歡詐騙藝術家。

I mean, I don't love scam artists,

意思不是我喜歡詐騙藝術家，

I love learning about them.

我喜歡的是了解他們。

I love reading books about them, watching documentaries about them,

我喜歡閱讀關於他們的書， 看關於他們的紀錄片，

I love learning about the teleshopping queen Wanna Marchi in Italy.

我喜歡了解義大利的 電視購物女王汪娜‧馬奇，

I like learning how to avoid creeps like Simon Leviev,

我喜歡了解如何避開像 Tinder 騙子賽門‧雷維這種小人，

you know, the "Tinder Swindler."

I even liked watching both Fyre Festival documentaries the day they came out

我甚至喜歡看 Fyre 音樂節的 兩支紀錄片，且一上架就看，

and have listened to every single radio edit

以及收聽比利‧麥克法蘭 每場訪談在這個次元裡的

of every Billy McFarland interview

that exists in this dimension.

所有廣播編輯版本。

I'm, like, obsessed.

我超沉迷。

And I think we can all learn a lot from scam artists, you know,

我認為大家都可以從 詐騙藝術家身上學到很多，

not like how to live your life or something,

不是說去學他們過生活，

but specifically how money functions in our society.

具體來說，是去學金錢 在我們的社會中如何運作。

So if you're ready to go on this journey with me today,

如果各位準備好和我一起 踏上這段旅程，今天，

I would like to teach you money lessons from famous scam artists.

我想教各位的是從知名 詐騙藝術家學到的金錢教訓。

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

好啊，好啊，好啊。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

So how did I get here?

我是怎麼走到這一步的？

Well, I'm an artist, you know, minus the scam part.

我是藝術家，沒有「詐騙」兩個字的。

I'm a poet and a filmmaker specifically.

明確來說，我是詩人和電影導演。

And when I started my arts journey full-time over a decade ago,

十多年前，我展開 我的全職藝術旅程時，

I was unprepared for the amount of grants I'd have to write.

我沒料到我得寫這麼多補助金申請。

Turns out that a lot of being a professional artist

結果發現，職業藝術家 工作有很大一部分

is fundraising for your own salary.

是在為自己的薪水募款。

So I got good at grants.

我變得很擅長申請補助， 擅長的程度到了

I got so good at grants,

I started writing grants for other people.

我開始幫別人申請補助。

In one year alone,

有一年，光那年， 透過幫別人申請補助、

through writing grants for folks,

running people's fundraising campaigns, supporting mutual aid efforts,

管理別人的募款活動、

支援互助行動，

I was able to help move 1.3 million dollars

我就協助將一百三十萬美金

directly into the hands of Black trans individuals and organizations.

直接送到跨性別黑人 以及相關組織的手上。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌聲及歡呼）

I started consulting with philanthropic organizations

我開始提供諮詢服務給慈善組織， 教它們支援目標族群的最佳方式，

on the best way to support targeted communities,

and I teach reparations frameworks all across the country.

在全國各地教授賠償的相關制度。

So I know why people give money.

我知道人為什麼會把錢給出來。

And honestly, a lot of it is great storytelling,

老實說，很重要的是要把故事說好。

and scam artists are really good at spinning a narrative.

詐騙藝術家非常擅於編織故事情節。

Now, the first famous scam artist I'd like to tell you all about

我要跟各位談的第一位知名 詐騙藝術家是聲名狼藉的

is the infamous Elizabeth Holmes.

伊麗莎白‧荷姆斯。

So Elizabeth Holmes, who founded Theranos,

伊麗莎白‧荷姆斯 成立了 Theranos，

was able to rake in about a nine-billion-dollar valuation

她成功讓一個產品的估值 飆到九十億美金，

for a product that didn't even work.

而這個產品還甚至不起作用。

如果你不記得伊麗莎白‧荷姆斯，

For those of you that don't remember Elizabeth Holmes, because you somehow,

也許是因為你錯過了 競爭對手的播客節目、書籍、

I don't know, like, missed the competing podcast, the book,

the documentary and the very public trial,

紀錄片，以及非常公開的審判，

let me remind you who she is.

那就讓我先來介紹她。

So she started Theranos under the premise that they would be creating a device

她成立 Theranos 的前提是

他們會創造出一個裝置，

that could read hundreds of medical tests

能夠透過一滴血液 就讀取數百種醫療檢測。

through a single drop of blood.

Now she surrounded herself with government officials,

她身邊往來的對象都是 政府官員和風險投資家，

venture capitalists and a bevy of high-gloss magazine covers.

還上了一堆閃亮亮的雜誌封面。

What she did not surround herself with, though, were medical experts as peers,

不過，她身邊沒有一種人，

沒有作為同行的醫療專家。

right?

And so for many people,

所以，許多接近她的人

and for many of them that came close to her,

they could realize pretty quickly

很快就能知道她在 兜售的東西不是真的。

that what she was selling just wasn't real.

And so for most folks, it's very clear that Elizabeth Holmes is a scammer.

所以對大部分人而言，

顯然伊麗莎白‧荷姆斯就是個騙子。

But have you ever listened to the rationalizations of her funders?

但各位有聽過她的資助者 怎麼講得頭頭是道嗎？

That stuff is gold.

那東西被說得像黃金一樣。

So out of all of her investors,

在她所有的投資者中，

my favorite interview is one with Don Lucas Sr.

我最喜歡的是 老唐諾‧盧卡斯的訪談。

So Don Lucas Sr., who gave her millions of dollars,

老唐諾‧盧卡斯給了她數百萬美金，

was asked to explain, "Why did you give her so much money?"

訪談請他解釋：「你為什麼 要給她這麼多錢？」

And so he said, "Well, her great- grandfather was an entrepreneur."

他說：「嗯，她的 曾祖父是企業家。」

And it turns out the hospital near where her family lives

結果發現，她家人住所附近的醫院

is named for her great-uncle.

是以她的曾伯父命名。

Yeah, so she was supposedly the best of both worlds

是啊，所以她應該是

兩個領域的菁英，也應該

and had supposedly learned both medicine and entrepreneurship through osmosis.

透過滲透作用學會了 醫學和企業家精神。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Another gem of an interview was with Tim Draper.

提姆‧德雷波的訪談也很讚。

So Tim Draper pushed back against an interviewer who asked,

提姆‧德雷波反駁了 訪談者，訪談者問他：

"Now, do you think that Elizabeth Holmes, being a family friend of yours,

「你覺得伊麗莎白‧荷姆斯 會成為你們家族的朋友

had anything to do with you giving her so much money?"

和你給她那麼多錢有關嗎？」

He scoffed.

他嗤之以鼻。

I mean, he's a professional.

他是專業的。

He doesn't do trivial things like that.

他不做那種瑣碎的事，他是 特斯拉和 Skype 的首位投資者。

He was a first investor in Tesla and Skype.

He just knows who's going to go the distance.

他只是看得出誰能拼命去成功。

And as we know, Theranos tanked, horribly and publicly,

如我們所知，Therano 摔慘了，

很驚人也很公開，

after opening 40 centers at Arizona-based Walgreens locations

在那之前已在亞歷桑納的 Walgreens 藥店

開了四十個中心，

and endangering thousands of people who got blood tests

且危害了數千人，

該公司知道血液檢測 是假的，還讓他們去做。

that the company knew were going to be faulty.

A lie we get told again and again,

我們不斷聽到一個謊言：

is that broke folks are bad at money.

窮人很不會處理錢。

It's working-class folks who make bad decisions about money.

工薪階級的人才會做出 和錢相關的爛決策。

This brings us to our first lesson.

這就帶出了我們的第一個教訓。

People with wealth aren't better at making decisions.

有錢人不見得比較會做決策。

They get to make more bad decisions without it hurting them.

他們只是可以做更多爛決策 還不會受到影響。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

With the added bonus of being able to cause extensive harm

還有額外的優勢， 就是能造成廣泛的傷害，

to the people over whom they wield power.

波及被他們支配或影響的人。

When broke folks make bad decisions about money,

而窮人若做出關於錢的爛決策，

it only impacts them,

只會衝擊到自己，

not whole ecosystems.

不是整個生態系統。

The next famous scam artist I'd like to talk to you all about

我要談的下一個知名詐騙藝術家，

是瑪格麗特和華特‧奇恩的故事。

is the story of Margaret and Walter Keane.

Now in the 1960s,

在 1960 年代，

Walter got famous for painting.

華特因為畫畫而出名。

But guess what Walter doesn't do?

但猜猜華特不做什麼事？

Walter doesn’t paint, OK?

華特不畫畫。

He steals all of the work from Margaret, right?

他所有的作品都是 從瑪格麗特那裡偷來的。

And these beautiful pieces,

這些美麗的作品，

known for their resonant features of children with big eyes,

共同的著名特色之一 就是兒童都有著大眼睛，

were shown off at clubs,

在俱樂部、節慶，甚至聯合國展出。

at festivals, even at the UN.

They made him millions of dollars.

他靠這些作品賺進數百萬美金。

He even had celebrity clientele such as the Kennedy family.

他的客戶中甚至有名人，

比如甘迺迪家族。

Because of the difficulty of being taken seriously

因為身為女性藝術家 就會很難被認真看待，

as an artist who was a woman,

it was easy to erase Margaret from her work.

把瑪格麗特從她的作品中 抹除掉會讓事情簡單得多。

Walter even was able to convince her

華特甚至有辦法說服她

that this was the best way to get her work seen at all.

這就是能讓她的作品 被看見的最佳方式。

Which brings us to our next point and lesson for the day.

這就要談到今天的下一個教訓。

In an unjust society,

在不公的社會中，

our social identities are often used as markers

我們的社會身分通常會被當作指標，

to decide whether we are worthy of being taken seriously

是決定我們是否值得被認真看待

or deserving of financial and other resources, OK?

或應該得到財務及其他資源。

And when I'm saying other resources, I'm saying sometimes it's money,

我所謂的其他資源，有時是金錢，

sometimes it's food,

有時是食物，

sometimes it's housing, sometimes it's water.

有時是住房，有時是水。

The next story that's coming up to me

我接下來要講的故事其實 不是詐騙藝術家故事本身，

actually is not a scam artist story per se,

but a triumph over scam artist story.

而是戰勝詐騙的藝術家的故事， 能讓我扯開話題一下嗎？

If I can diverge just for a little bit,

is that OK, yeah?

And so I'm thinking so much about the story of Carlette Duffy.

我常在想卡蕾特‧達菲的故事。

So Carlette Duffy is a Black woman based in Indianapolis.

卡蕾特‧達菲是住在 印第安納波里斯的黑人女性。

And in 2020, she decided that she needed to refinance her home.

2020 年，她認為需要 把她的房子做重新貸款。

And so when she did that, she had two appraisal teams come down,

她為了重新貸款， 找來兩個估價團隊，

and they both undervalued her home extensively.

而兩個團隊都大大低估了 這間房子的價值。

The lowest appraisal being at 110,000 dollars.

最低的估價是十一萬美金。

So she had an idea.

她有個點子。

She took down every picture of her family from her home.

她把家中所有家人的照片都拿掉。

She removed every single piece of artwork that depicted Black people.

她移走了所有描繪黑人的藝術作品。

She removed all of her hair products and she called a friend,

她收掉了她所有的頭髮相關產品，

並打電話給一位友人，

a white man that news outlets simply refer to as "Hank."

這位友人是白種男性， 新聞管道只簡單稱他為「漢克」。

各位知道嗎，當漢克 代替她參與下一次估價，

Well, don't you know that when Hank stood in for her at the next appraisal,

her home went from being worth 110,000 dollars to 259,000 dollars.

她的房子價值從十一萬美金

變成了二十五萬九千美金。

Does that sound like a scam to you?

各位覺得這聽起來像是詐騙嗎？

Because it sounds like a scam to me.

我覺得像是。

And in that story, what I think also comes up,

我認為這個故事也涉及到 這種詐騙有多常見。

is how common that scam is.

And it is one that's based in redlining practices

這種詐騙是基於帶有歧視的 做法和白人至上文化。

and white supremacy culture.

Now the next and last scam artist that I would like to share with y'all

我想介紹的下一位 也是最後一位詐騙藝術家

is the amazing Anna Sorokin, aka Anna Delvey, OK?

是很了不起的安娜‧索羅金， 也叫安娜‧戴爾維。

Yeah, so some of y'all are fans, I could tell, OK.

我看得出來這裡有她的粉絲。

Hide your wallets, OK?

把你們的皮夾藏好。

And so ...

所以……

So Anna Delvey pretended to be a German heiress,

安娜‧戴爾維假裝是德國貴族，

and she almost, every space she went into,

幾乎她每到一個地方，

she took the New York scene of financial institutions and socialites for a ride

她都會從紐約金融機構 和上流社會人士身上

that would cost them 275,000 dollars.

詐騙到二十七萬五千美金。

她住在寬敞的公寓，

She lived in sprawling apartments, she flew on private jets,

她搭私人飛機，

she vacationed on yachts,

她在遊艇上渡假，

she ate meals that cost as much as my rent.

她用餐的花費和我的房租差不多，

She said she was rich.

她說她很有錢，她看起來 很符合這個角色。

She looked the part.

And so as a result, people felt compelled to give her more money.

因此，大家覺得有必要給她更多錢。

Think of how ridiculous that sounds.

想想這聽起來有多荒謬： 因為她說她很富裕，

Because she said she was rich,

she looked the part,

她看起來也名符其實，

people thought she also needed their money.

大家就覺得她也需要他們的錢。

Whether a gift or a loan,

不論是贈禮或貸款， 安娜總保證會還錢給

Anna would always promise to pay people back

that decided they wanted to help her in supposedly urgent situations

那些決定要在應該很緊急的 情況中出手幫忙的人，

when she wasn't able to access her totally fictional

實際上她根本無法取得她那純虛構

but supposedly sprawling fortune.

但應該非常鉅額的財富。

What Anna's story reminds me is this next point.

安娜的故事提醒我的是這一點：

Again, in an unjust system, in an unjust society,

同樣在不公的體制、不公的社會中，

those who are seen as being able to perform wealth

被視為能夠展現出財富的人

are more likely to get funded than those in actual financial need.

很可能比那些真正有財務 需求的人更能得到資金。

Not only is this a gross practice, it's an unsustainable one.

這個做法不僅惡劣，且無法持續。

In 2014, a study found that overconsumption

2014 年，一項研究發現過度消費

and economic inequality leads to the collapse of civilizations.

以及經濟不平等會導致文明的崩壞。

While having a lot of wealth may be able to buy you a PR team

雖然有很巨額的財富 可能可以讓你買到一個公關團隊

to make you more likable to the general population,

讓大眾覺得你比較討喜，

it doesn't make you a more skilled person.

但並不會讓你更有技能、更有能力，

It doesn't make you more capable,

and it certainly doesn't make you more perceptive

且肯定不會讓你對資源的 永續性有更高的敏感度。

about the sustainability of resources.

This idea that wealthy people are somehow more deserving

「富有的人就更值得」這個想法

is one that is very pervasive

是很常見的想法，許多不同 類型的人都相信這個想法。

and one that many different types of people believe.

In this society, because of all the systems we live under,

在這個社會中，因為 我們所處的種種體制，

lots of broke folks also believe the idea that they are somehow less worthy

許多窮人也相信這個想法：

他們比富裕的人更不值得。

than their wealthy counterparts.

Scam artists actually know something

詐騙藝術家

知道一件在座大部分人 會否認或拒絕接受的事。

that most of us in this room would deny or refuse to accept.

And that is,

那就是：

金錢通常不是來自於努力工作。

money doesn't typically come from hard work.

Money comes to those who hoard it.

金錢會流向囤積它們的人，

Money comes to those who are willing to exploit.

金錢會流向願意 剝削的人，金錢會流向

Money comes to those who work hard

努力掩埋掉金錢來源歷史的人。

to bury the history of where money comes from.

Billions of people live on this planet that work hard every single day

世界上有數十億人每天努力工作，

that will live and die broke.

一生到死卻都很窮困。

Money comes to financial institutions like Bank of America

金錢會流向如美國銀行 和摩根大通這類金融機構，

and JPMorgan Chase,

who literally got their start in the transatlantic slave trade

它們的起家真的是來自 跨大西洋奴隸貿易，

and will find themselves in the news every few years

且每幾年就會有新聞報導它們

for denying loans to the very descendants of the same people they once owned.

不願提供貸款給它們 曾經擁有的奴隸的後代。

To big tech giants like Apple and Amazon,

金錢也會流向科技巨人， 如蘋果和亞馬遜，

who will pay top dollar for a coder behind a desk in Seattle

它們願意付高價給在西雅圖 坐辦公桌的程式人員，

but will pay darn near nothing

但不願付任何錢

for the hands of those that work tirelessly

給孜孜不倦地努力工作

to mine the materials that make our devices function

挖出能讓我們裝置 運作的礦物的礦工，

and to deliver our packages cheaply.

以及低價運送我們裝置的送貨員。

To living in a society where it is legal to pay both disabled workers

在我們所處的社會能以合法的方式

只付給身心障礙勞工和基層勞工 比最低工資還低的工資，

and essential workers less than minimum wage.

The way we deal with money in this society is the real scam.

在這個社會裡，我們處理 金錢的方式才是真正的詐騙。

And while the scam artists that I'm talking about

雖然我所談的藝術家已經將他們的

have had their tricks and tools exposed for the whole world to see,

技倆和工具揭露給全世界看了，

there are scams in our faces every single day.

但還是有我們每天面對的詐騙存在。

So what do I want you to get out of today?

我希望各位今天能學到什麼？

I want you to consider

我希望各位能想想，

that there are scams that we are asked to agree not to see all the time.

常常，我們都被要求同意 對一些詐騙視而不見。

And I want you to think about in your personal life,

我希望各位能想想 在你的個人生活中、

in your interpersonal life and in your greater community life,

在你的人際生活中、 在你更廣泛的社區生活中，

what are some scams that we are asked to pretend are OK

我們被要求要假裝 哪些詐騙是沒關係的，

and understanding that when we do that,

且要了解當我們這麼做，

we set up a lot of our communities to fail.

我們會讓許多我們的 社區注定要失敗。

As an artist, I have the distinct pleasure and joy

身為藝術家，我有獨特的榮幸

of helping people to dream possibilities

可以協助大家去夢想 在世界上不存在的可能性。

that don't already exist on this planet.

So today I'm asking you to dream with me.

今天我想邀請大家跟我一起夢想。

I want you to dream a possible world

請大家想像，可能會有一個世界，

in which we delegate resources like money

在那裡，

我們會從社區關懷的角度 來委派如金錢等資源。

from a place of community care.

What do actual ethical practices around money look like?

關於金錢的倫理實做方法 實際上是什麼樣子的？

Money in this society is often used to prove morality,

在這個社會中，金錢 通常被用來證明道德、

competency, wisdom,

能力、智慧，

when really it's just a tool we made up.

實際上它卻只是我們 創造出來的工具而已。

And we get to decide how we use it,

我們可以決定我們要如何用它、

how we move forward with it or without it for the collective good.

我們要如何靠它／不靠它 向前邁進，促進集體福祉。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌聲及歡呼）