10 Horrible People That Fooled the World

10-Horrible-People-that-Fooled-the-World

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the times people hid their true, darker sides from everyone.

Lance Armstrong

Not only was he a US icon for winning the Tour de France 7 times consecutively, but he did this after recovering from cancer and setting up the Livestrong Foundation to help those living with the disease. This led to the foundation's yellow wristbands being everywhere as people supported the cause. Then, in 2012, Armstrong was accused by the United States Anti-Doping Agency of cheating through most of his cycling career, and he was stripped of his records from 1998 onwards and banned from competition. Some fans held out hope that the authorities were wrong. However, that was destroyed in 2013 when Armstrong admitted to the scam. In 2015, he made it worse by admitting he’d still cheat if it was 1995 again.

Jimmy Savile

For decades, he was one of the most famous presenters in the UK. Due to hosting “Jim’ll Fix It,” which had children getting their wishes answered, and his passionate charity work, Savile was highly respected by fans, celebrities, politicians, and even royalty. This trust gave him access to schools and facilities where vulnerable people were. Instead of helping them in their time of need, Savile did the opposite. In 2012, a year after his passing, allegations about Savile abusing many, many people came out, as well as an apparent cover-up by authority figures. This seemingly open secret was now exposed to the public. Operation Yewtree was launched by the police, which discovered hundreds of victims of the disgraced presenter.

Elizabeth Holmes

In 2015, she was named by Forbes as the youngest and wealthiest self-made billionaire woman in the U.S. Holmes had created the company Theranos, which claimed to have pioneered a less invasive method of testing blood. The college dropout was everywhere, and her passionate support of getting women into STEM occupations boosted her positive profile further. Shortly after the Forbes announcement, allegations about Theranos’s methods were exposed. The group was accused of employing devices used by other companies for testing as the accuracy of their Edison machine was questioned. Theranos had raised millions on the misinformation that their device was revolutionary. In 2023, Holmes was sentenced to more than 11 years in jail and was fined $452 million for fraud.

Pablo Picasso

When an artist becomes as legendary as Picasso, many assume that they were a good person. On the surface, the Cubist movement co-founder seemed to fit the bill. Some who knew Picasso described him as a saint. However, others have far less complimentary descriptions. Even his granddaughter, Marina Picasso, said that once he’d got what he wanted from women, he’d throw them away. Many partners and muses in Picasso’s life have spoken about the abuse they sustained at his hands. This included burning a cigarette on an ex’s face in a jealous rage, having a relationship with an underage woman, and having affairs. His legacy now includes causing several partners and family members to suffer from mental health issues.

Thomas Edison

With his name attached to over one thousand patents in the US, Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors and someone who helped modernize the world. He even started the first industrial research laboratory. But Edison seemingly took credit for work that may rightfully have been done by others. He also unsuccessfully sued black inventor Granville Woods for developing the induction telegraph, which Edison claimed he’d made. During the “war of the currents,” Edison, who supported direct current, supported tests to electrocute animals with alternating current to show its dangers. This evil fascination led to his film studio recording the electrocution of Topsy the elephant in 1903 so Edison could show the clip on his kinetoscopes.

Bill Cosby

After playing Cliff Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” he was labeled “America’s Dad” and everyone respected him. This, on top of his other comedy work, secured Cosby’s place as one of the greatest comedians in the US. Then, 2014 happened. After years of rumors and allegations, Hannibal Buress publicly called out Cosby for assault during a stand-up set. This led to a domino effect as many women began coming out with allegations of abuse they'd sustained from Cosby, destroying his wholesome persona. In 2018, he was found guilty and sentenced to 3 to 10 years. In 2021, Cosby’s conviction was overturned, and he was released. Regardless, his reputation is in tatters as he continues fighting further legal battles.

P.T. Barnum

Back in the day, Barnum was admired by many. Beyond his entertainment work, he was a key figure in Connecticut politics, helping to transform the city of Bridgeport during a stint as mayor. While on the board of trustees at Tufts University, Barnum gave the facility a lot of money, resulting in the creation of the Barnum Museum of Natural History. When he passed in 1891, obituaries heavily focused on his philanthropic endeavors. While his entertainment empire did give work to those dismissed by society, he’s also been accused of exploiting them, especially if they were Black, and mistreating animals. After his wife passed away, Barnum controversially married Nancy Fish, the daughter of his close friend, who was 40 years younger.

Mother Teresa

This one may be controversial. With her name closely tied to expressions of selflessness and charity, Teresa was beloved for her humanitarian work. She earned a Nobel Peace Prize and was canonized as a Catholic Saint. But many feel there was another side to her. Despite raising millions for her work, many of the missions Teresa created were severely underfunded, with up to a third of patients allegedly not getting decent care. Some photographs of the hospices were compared to World War II concentration camps. Allegedly, when confronted about people suffering in her care, Teresa stated, “The world gains much from their suffering.” Another uncomfortable point was her anti-abortion views, as she put stopping abortion on the same level as helping starving children.

Bernie Madoff

Many billionaires dabble with philanthropy. But Madoff took it to another level. After making his fortune from his own stock brokerage company and an asset management firm, he began working on the boards of several nonprofits and Yeshiva University. Madoff also donated cash to hospitals, foundations, theaters, and around $6 million to lymphoma research. He seemed like a good person. Then, in 2008, he was arrested after he confessed to his sons that his company was the largest Ponzi scheme in history, estimated at $65 billion. Not only did people lose their money due to Madoff, but so did charities. In 2009, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in jail. He passed away in jail in 2021.

Jim Jones

Growing up in poverty and experiencing kindness from neighbors, Jones seemingly wanted to emulate this in his adulthood. In 1955, he founded his own new religious movement, which would become the Peoples Temple, promoting racial equality and incorporating Christian and left-wing ideologies. After moving to San Francisco, California, the group worked with activists and charities. Yet when accusations of abuse in the Temple began to emerge, Jones relocated his movement to Guyana and created Jonestown. In 1978, while investigating dark claims about the commune, US politician Leo Ryan and 4 others were fatally shot. Seeing his Temple about to come crashing down, Jones ordered mass ingestion of a cyanide-laced drink among his followers, causing 918 people to perish.


What other infamous people who hid their darker selves did we miss? Let us know below.