Howard Hughes prankster dies at 87
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Clifford Irving, whose scheme to publish a phony autobiography of Howard Hughes created a sensation in the 1970s, died in Florida. He was 87.
In 1971, Irving conned McGraw-Hill publishers into paying him a $765,000 advance for a book about Hughes. His elaborate ruse became the subject of the 2006 movie “The Hoax,” starring Richard Gere.
By The Associated Press
