What the Hell Happened: Anna Delvey to Speak At Harvard Business School

Harvard has had a long history of inviting famous or influential people as guest speakers, lecturers, and awardees during classes and events. From pop singer and philanthropist Rihanna and film writer and director Steven Spielberg, to physician-scientist and immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Harvard has invited experts from fields of arts, sciences, technology, politics, and more to speak with its students in recent years. Now, second-year students at Harvard Business School will soon receive a guest lecture from one of the most infamous con artists of this century: Anna Delvey.

In the past, the name “Anna Delvey” opened doors. As The New York Times reported, from 2013 to 2017, Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, scammed her way into some of the most elite circles of New York City, tricking both financial institutions and New York’s wealthiest into believing that she was a German heiress with a net worth of over €60 million. She conned her way through private vacation trips and into VIP dinner parties, and even nearly obtained a $22 million loan from Citizens Bank before getting caught and arrested.

Delvey’s downfall, however, did not deter her from having an active following in the media. Even during her 2018 scam trials, Vox commented on Delvey’s fashionable courtroom outfits, and the New York Times made note of other bizarre moments from her trial. Delvey even interviewed for NBC News in an ICE detention center after facing potential deportation to Germany when she overstayed her visa in the United States. Today, she maintains over a million followers on Instagram and has appeared in a number of interviews since being put on house arrest.

In May 2018, Jessica Pressler — American journalist and occasional guest speaker in Harvard’s “The Art of the Con” expository writing course — published an exposé in New York Times that detailed the highs and lows of Delvey’s scamming journey and cemented Delvey in the spotlight, inspiring a Netflix original drama miniseries “Inventing Anna.” In this short series, viewers had the chance to live through a portrayal of Delvey’s scams and witness her mysterious demeanor, chameleon character, and confident attitude for themselves.

A couple of months ago, Delvey was a guest speaker at Columbia University’s “Intro to Reporting,” an introductory journalism course, during which she addressed the importance of treating sources with respect. Since then, she has allegedly also been approached by Oxford University. Delvey’s upcoming appearance at Harvard follows another recent Harvard Business School guest lecture from media personality and businesswoman Kim Kardashian, and reflects an increasing interest in media personalities and controversial pop culture figures by both the general public and Harvard Business School.

Who will Harvard Business School be inviting as its next guest speaker? Will it continue the current trend of media personalities? Perhaps it’ll be socialite entrepreneur Kylie Jenner or beauty guru James Charles. Or if continuing the list of con artists — will it be Frank Abagnale Jr.? Jordan Belfort? Elizabeth Holmes? It looks like the public will just have to wait and see.