PART Five: Wealth and Deception
40 – Roswell Alien
Myth or Reality?
Landing: 1947
Historical Context: On July 1, 1947, near Roswell, New Mexico, an unidentified flying object reportedly crashed. Locals claimed to have seen aliens at the crash site. CIA agents quickly cordoned off the area and took all findings for study.
Media and Rumors: After the military’s initial announcement of a flying saucer, the information was quickly retracted, fueling rumors and conspiracy theories. In 1995, a film depicted the autopsy of a surviving “Roswell alien,” allegedly killed by Earthly infection at the secretive Area 51, sparking renewed public interest in the incident.
Declassified Document: In 2011, the FBI released part of its archives, including a copy of a report by Guy Hottel, a special agent who was among the first to arrive at the UFO crash. In the note, he described objects found near Roswell as “humanoid bodies three feet tall with black film instead of eyes.”
Exhibit Significance: The events of 1947 have become a cultural phenomenon, symbolizing the mysteries of the universe and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
Historical Context: On July 1, 1947, near Roswell, New Mexico, an unidentified flying object reportedly crashed. Locals claimed to have seen aliens at the crash site. CIA agents quickly cordoned off the area and took all findings for study.
Media and Rumors: After the military’s initial announcement of a flying saucer, the information was quickly retracted, fueling rumors and conspiracy theories. In 1995, a film depicted the autopsy of a surviving “Roswell alien,” allegedly killed by Earthly infection at the secretive Area 51, sparking renewed public interest in the incident.
Declassified Document: In 2011, the FBI released part of its archives, including a copy of a report by Guy Hottel, a special agent who was among the first to arrive at the UFO crash. In the note, he described objects found near Roswell as “humanoid bodies three feet tall with black film instead of eyes.”
Exhibit Significance: The events of 1947 have become a cultural phenomenon, symbolizing the mysteries of the universe and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
41 – Fiji Mermaid
The Loud Hoaxes of the 19th Century
History of Appearance: In July 1842, a dried “mermaid” was brought to Barnum’s American Museum, allegedly found on the island of Fiji in the Pacific Ocean. During the grand unveiling, a member of the British Lyceum of Natural History confirmed the authenticity of the unusual specimen. He even suggested that humans might descend not from apes, but from mermaids—based on its appearance.
Reality Behind the Illusion: In truth, P.T. Barnum displayed a fake mermaid, sewn together from the parts of a monkey and a large fish, to attract visitors to his museum.
Interesting Fact: The showman also exhibited a paralyzed African-American woman in his museum, claiming she was 160 years old and had been George Washington’s nurse.
Exhibit Significance: The Fiji mermaid became a symbol of an era when the lines between science and deception were blurred, and critical thinking was not yet widespread.
Reality Behind the Illusion: In truth, P.T. Barnum displayed a fake mermaid, sewn together from the parts of a monkey and a large fish, to attract visitors to his museum.
Interesting Fact: The showman also exhibited a paralyzed African-American woman in his museum, claiming she was 160 years old and had been George Washington’s nurse.
Exhibit Significance: The Fiji mermaid became a symbol of an era when the lines between science and deception were blurred, and critical thinking was not yet widespread.
42 – Bocca della Verità (Mouth of Truth)
Medieval Lie Detector
Location: Rome
Date of Creation: 1st century CE (approx.)
Original Purpose: The artifact was likely intended as a sewer cover or a fragment of a fountain.
Application: In the Middle Ages, the mask was repurposed as a “lie detector.” Suspected criminals were brought before it to test their honesty. They would recount their version of events and then place their hand into the mask’s mouth, believing that if they lied, the deity would bite off their hand.
The Secret Behind the Plate: In reality, an executioner hid behind the mask and decided at his discretion whether to cut off the guilty person’s hand.
Modern Times: Today, the mask is one of Rome’s most notable attractions. Visitors line up daily to slip a note with a wish into it, which is said to come true.
Exhibit Significance: The artifact is a unique testimony to both ancient artistry and medieval justice practices.
Date of Creation: 1st century CE (approx.)
Original Purpose: The artifact was likely intended as a sewer cover or a fragment of a fountain.
Application: In the Middle Ages, the mask was repurposed as a “lie detector.” Suspected criminals were brought before it to test their honesty. They would recount their version of events and then place their hand into the mask’s mouth, believing that if they lied, the deity would bite off their hand.
The Secret Behind the Plate: In reality, an executioner hid behind the mask and decided at his discretion whether to cut off the guilty person’s hand.
Modern Times: Today, the mask is one of Rome’s most notable attractions. Visitors line up daily to slip a note with a wish into it, which is said to come true.
Exhibit Significance: The artifact is a unique testimony to both ancient artistry and medieval justice practices.
43 – HETTY Green
The Stingiest Woman in History
Lifespan: 1834–1916
The Path of a Billionaire: Henrietta Green, a resident of Massachusetts, began her financial ventures at the age of 13 and became famous for her extreme thrift and unique investment strategies. Nicknamed the “Witch of Wall Street,” she lent money to New York City’s administration while personally scavenging for discounted groceries. Over her lifetime, she amassed $4,000,000,000 through stock trading. Had the Forbes list existed then, she would have ranked among the ten richest Americans.
Exhibit Significance: Henrietta Green’s life illustrates how extreme wealth and frugality could coexist in a single person, inspiring both admiration and condemnation.
Incredible But True:
The Path of a Billionaire: Henrietta Green, a resident of Massachusetts, began her financial ventures at the age of 13 and became famous for her extreme thrift and unique investment strategies. Nicknamed the “Witch of Wall Street,” she lent money to New York City’s administration while personally scavenging for discounted groceries. Over her lifetime, she amassed $4,000,000,000 through stock trading. Had the Forbes list existed then, she would have ranked among the ten richest Americans.
Exhibit Significance: Henrietta Green’s life illustrates how extreme wealth and frugality could coexist in a single person, inspiring both admiration and condemnation.
Incredible But True:
- Henrietta never owned an apartment.
- She forged her aunt’s will to avoid sharing the inheritance with relatives.
- She begged for free meat scraps for her dog, Devi.
- She spent nights searching carriages for dropped pennies.
- She fed her children only broken biscuits.
- She washed only the hems of her dresses.
- After reading stock reports, she sent her son to sell the newspaper on the street.
- When her son broke his leg, she bought him only painkillers; he eventually required amputation.
- She always wore the same black dress.
- She reheated porridge on public building radiators.
- She claimed tap water was the tastiest drink.
- She chewed onions constantly to avoid buying vitamins.
- When asked to babysit her 8- and 10-year-old nephews, she made them work 14 hours in the laundry.
- She bankrupted her husband through a shell company.
- Throughout her life, she never paid a single cent in taxes.
PART SIX: Gold Vault
44 – Saffron
THE MOST EXPENSIVE SPICE IN THE WORLD
100 g = 50,000 ₽
Saffron is a spice derived from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus.
It grows mainly in Iran, India, Morocco, and Spain, and is used both in cooking and as a natural dye — just one thread of saffron can tint three liters of water a bright golden yellow.
Its high cost is due to the extremely labor-intensive harvesting process: crocuses bloom for only two weeks a year, and their flowers must be picked at dawn on the very first day they open.
Each flower has just three delicate stigmas, so it takes around 600 of them to produce a single gram of dried saffron.
Interesting Fact: in the Middle Ages, saffron was so valuable that its forgery was severely punished — in Iran, counterfeiters had their hands cut off; in Germany, they were burned at the stake; while in France, the more "lenient" penalty was a fine of 60 kilograms of silver.
Saffron is a spice derived from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus.
It grows mainly in Iran, India, Morocco, and Spain, and is used both in cooking and as a natural dye — just one thread of saffron can tint three liters of water a bright golden yellow.
Its high cost is due to the extremely labor-intensive harvesting process: crocuses bloom for only two weeks a year, and their flowers must be picked at dawn on the very first day they open.
Each flower has just three delicate stigmas, so it takes around 600 of them to produce a single gram of dried saffron.
Interesting Fact: in the Middle Ages, saffron was so valuable that its forgery was severely punished — in Iran, counterfeiters had their hands cut off; in Germany, they were burned at the stake; while in France, the more "lenient" penalty was a fine of 60 kilograms of silver.
45 – Hermès Birkin Bag
THE MOST EXPENSIVE HANDBAG IN THE WORLD
Manufacturer: French fashion house Hermès
Price: 2.5 million rubles
The Birkin bag is not just an accessory — it’s a profitable investment, with returns that often exceed those of gold and stocks.
Each bag is crafted entirely by hand by a single artisan who has undergone five years of training in cutting, assembly, and stitching.
Unlike most designer items, a Birkin cannot simply be bought — it must be earned.
Hermès clients are first placed on a waiting list, and only after months or even years do they receive their own “Oscar” of the fashion world. Moreover, the brand strictly limits purchases: no more than two Birkin bags per person per year.
Fact: In July 2025, a black leather Birkin once owned by actress Jane Birkin was sold at a Sotheby’s auction for a record-breaking $10 million.
Significance: Beyond its staggering price, the Birkin is a true cultural icon — frequently referenced in films, television, and music as a symbol of status, success, and impeccable taste.
Price: 2.5 million rubles
The Birkin bag is not just an accessory — it’s a profitable investment, with returns that often exceed those of gold and stocks.
Each bag is crafted entirely by hand by a single artisan who has undergone five years of training in cutting, assembly, and stitching.
Unlike most designer items, a Birkin cannot simply be bought — it must be earned.
Hermès clients are first placed on a waiting list, and only after months or even years do they receive their own “Oscar” of the fashion world. Moreover, the brand strictly limits purchases: no more than two Birkin bags per person per year.
Fact: In July 2025, a black leather Birkin once owned by actress Jane Birkin was sold at a Sotheby’s auction for a record-breaking $10 million.
Significance: Beyond its staggering price, the Birkin is a true cultural icon — frequently referenced in films, television, and music as a symbol of status, success, and impeccable taste.
46 – Cacao
THE STRANGEST CURRENCY
10 PODS = 1 SLAVE
In the 15th–16th centuries, the Aztecs valued cacao more highly than gold, using it to pay taxes, trade goods, and reward distinguished warriors.
The Aztec emperor Montezuma II reportedly drank 50 cups of chocolate a day, believing it to be the drink of the gods.
Fact: One cacao pod could buy an alpaca, while ten could buy a slave.
Curious Detail: When cacao arrived in Europe, it became the perfect base for poison.
Its bitterness masked toxins so well that even arsenic went unnoticed in the thick, dark liquid.
In the 15th–16th centuries, the Aztecs valued cacao more highly than gold, using it to pay taxes, trade goods, and reward distinguished warriors.
The Aztec emperor Montezuma II reportedly drank 50 cups of chocolate a day, believing it to be the drink of the gods.
Fact: One cacao pod could buy an alpaca, while ten could buy a slave.
Curious Detail: When cacao arrived in Europe, it became the perfect base for poison.
Its bitterness masked toxins so well that even arsenic went unnoticed in the thick, dark liquid.
47 – Gold Ingot
THE VANITY OF SIBERIAN PROSPECTORS
Period: 19th century
Historical Context:
The era of Russian gold rushes began in 1812, when a new law granted “all Russian subjects the right to search for and mine gold and silver ores, with a tax payment to the treasury.”
Figure:
By 1861, Siberia had 372 active gold mines where around 30,000 prospectors extracted over 17 tons of the precious metal.
Curious Facts:
The newly rich prospectors became famous not only for their gold yields but for their outrageous extravagance.
Historical Context:
The era of Russian gold rushes began in 1812, when a new law granted “all Russian subjects the right to search for and mine gold and silver ores, with a tax payment to the treasury.”
Figure:
By 1861, Siberia had 372 active gold mines where around 30,000 prospectors extracted over 17 tons of the precious metal.
Curious Facts:
The newly rich prospectors became famous not only for their gold yields but for their outrageous extravagance.
- The Tomsk miner Tit Zotov washed his horses with champagne.
- Nikolai Myasnikov from Krasnoyarsk ordered business cards made of pure gold.
- Gavrila Masharov from Kansk sent his trousers to be laundered in Paris and commissioned a 9-kilogram gold medal engraved with the title “Emperor of All Taiga.”
