Giant Statue Hoax

In 1869, George Hull hired individuals to create a stone statue of a man, bury it, and later pretend to discover an ancient giant. The hoax proved to be so profitable that P.T. Barnum offered $50,000 for it. However, the owner declined the offer. In response, Barnum had a replica made, claiming to possess the real giant while accusing the owner of having a fake.