Frank Abagnale is famous for being portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film Catch Me If You Can. Abagnale is a convicted felon notorious for allegedly working as a physician, police officer, and pilot without any qualifications. As of 2024, 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. Young Frank chose to live with his father in Mount Vernon, New York.
Around this time, Abagnale began his criminal spree by using his dad’s credit card and persuaded gas station employees to give him a percentage of the sale in cash.
When 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 wrote false checks and impersonated various respected professions. He’s most-known for acting as a pilot but was first imprisoned in France for theft. In 1970, he was deported back to the US and also impersonated a physician.
He created a fictional program for female students that wanted to be flight attendants. Frank caught the FBI’s attention for forging Pan American World Airways payroll checks and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but two years were added when he tried to escape.
Upon release, he struggled to find work and poised as a pilot once again. He applied at various companies and pretended to work 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 a popular keynote speaker. He typically charges $20,000 to $30,000 to speak at conferences. One of his most popular talks was at Google and the video has attracted over 15 million views!
He allegedly worked undercover for the FBI for 30 years but now runs 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 earned significant income from publishing a book and the film that followed it. The film was a huge commercial success globally and grossed $352.1 million at the box office. Indirectly, the exposure from the film has helped him make extra income as a speaker.
However, his primary income stream is his consulting company, Abagnale & Associates. After turning around his life, Frank now has a fortune of $10 million. Based on reports from Buzzfile.com, Abagnale & Associates makes around $800,000 in annual revenue and employs 13 people.
Personal Life
The main reason he quit the life of crime is his family. Abagnale is married to Kelly Anne Welbes Abagnale and the couple has three sons: Sean, Chris, and Scott. They originally lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma but moved to Charleston, South Carolina once their sons went to college.
