Frank Abagnale is famous for being portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can. Abagnale is a convicted felon notorious for claiming that he worked as a physician, police officer, and pilot without any qualifications. As of 2023, Frank Abagnale has a net worth of $10 million.
Early Life
Frank William Abagnale Jr. was born on April 27, 1948, to a French mother and an Italian father. He grew up in the Bronx, New York and his parents divorced when he was 15. After the divorce, he chose to live with his father in Mount Vernon, New York.
Around this time he started to get involved in petty crime. He began his criminal spree by using his dad’s gas credit card and persuading gas station employees to pay him a percentage of his sale in cash.
When he was caught, Frank was sent to a Westchester County reform school. At 16, he signed up for the US Navy but was sent back home shortly because of forgery.
Life of Crime
With an IQ of 140, Abagnale went on to write false checks and impersonate various professions. He acted as a pilot but was later caught and imprisoned in France. In 1970, he was deported back to the US. Frank then went to the University of Arizona and impersonated a physician and pilot.
He created a fictional program for female students that wanted to be flight attendants. He caught the FBI’s attention when he forged Pan American World Airways payroll checks and was sentenced to ten years in prison, but two years were added when he tried to escape.
After his release, he struggled to find work and poised as a pilot once more. He applied at various companies and pretended that he worked as a police officer. But by now Frank had a family and wanted to settle down.
Career Change
After impersonating multiple people and forging checks worth $2.5 million, the con man made the decision to give up his criminal life and is now a popular speaker.
He allegedly worked undercover for the FBI for about 30 years. But now, he is focused on Abagnale & Associates, a consulting firm which teaches others how to detect fraud.
Frank Published the book, ‘Catch Me If You Can’ in 1980 and in 2002, it was adapted into a film by Steven Spielberg. However, Abagnale revealed that parts of the story were exaggerated. Also, a book published by Alan Logan, claims a majority of Abagnale’s story is fabricated.
Net Worth and Earnings
With his stellar reputation, Frank Abagnale has been invited to appear in several media outlets. He has also earned significant income from his published book and the film that followed it.
However, his primary income stream is his consulting company, Abagnale & Associates. After turning around his life and career, Frank now has a fortune of $10 million.
Personal Life
The primary reason he quit the life of crime is his family. Abagnale is married to a woman named Kelly and the couple has three sons: Sean, Chris, and Scott.
