What is Anna Sorokin's Net Worth?
Anna Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, is a con artist and convicted fraudster who has a net worth of $50,000. Anna Sorokin infamously pretended to be a wealthy heiress to gain access to the elite New York City social world. Sorokin gained widespread recognition due to various articles, podcasts, and television episodes about her story, as well as through the hit Netflix miniseries "Inventing Anna."
From 2013 to 2017, she deceived and defrauded multiple major banks, hotels, and individuals of $275,000, resulting in a prison sentence that lasted for a little over two years. She ultimately paid $198,000 in restitution to her victims. Netflix paid Anna $320,000 for her life rights and to act as a consultant on its series.
Early Life and Education
Anna Sorokin was born on January 23, 1991 in Domodedovo, Moscow Oblast in what was then Soviet Russia. Her mother owned a small convenience mart, while her father worked as a truck driver. In 2007, the family moved to North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, where Sorokin's father became an executive at a transportation company. After the company became insolvent in 2013, he opened an HVAC business. Sorokin was educated at the Catholic grammar school Bischöfliche Liebfrauenschule Eschweiler. Following her graduation, she moved to London to attend the art school Central Saint Martins, but soon dropped out and returned to Germany.
Career Beginnings
In 2012, Sorokin briefly worked as an intern at a PR company in Berlin. After that, she moved to Paris, France, where she interned for the fashion magazine Purple. It was during that time Sorokin began using the pseudonym Anna Delvey.
Fraudulent Activity
In 2013, Sorokin traveled to New York City for New York Fashion Week. Preferring the city to Paris, she chose to stay and fraudulently worm her way into the elite NYC social scene. To do this, Sorokin conceived of a private members' club and art foundation named after her alias, called the Anna Delvey Foundation. Her proposal included leasing the six-floor Church Missions House as a multipurpose events venue and art studio. During this time, Sorokin posed as a wealthy heiress in order to get into exclusive events, frequently bragging about her alleged fortune and castigating those she felt were inferior. She made many acquaintances with other notable people, and used Microsoft Word to make false bank statements and various other financial documents purporting to verify her wealth. In late 2016, Sorokin submitted her false documents as part of a loan application for $22 million to City National; when she was denied, she applied for a loan from Fortress. She continued to provide a variety of fake information to financial institutions, including email addresses. Sorokin went on to purchase luxury clothes, electronics, cosmetics, and even her own personal trainer, and to stay at various upscale hotels.
Due to her lavish spending, Sorokin ran out of money by early 2017. She deposited $160,000 worth of fraudulent checks in a Citibank account, and booked a return charter flight on a business jet to attend the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, Nebraska. That May, Sorokin took a luxury trip to Morocco that was mostly funded by her acquaintance Rachel Williams, whom she falsely told she would reimburse. After contacting other acquaintances who were never repaid by Sorokin, and who had all been regaled with different stories about the origin of her wealth, Williams realized she was being conned. Returning to New York, Sorokin attempted to scam a few luxury hotels where she stayed, and was ultimately evicted. She was now homeless, and under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney for bank fraud.
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Arrest and Indictment
In a sting operation planned by NYPD officer Michael McCaffrey, Sorokin was arrested in October of 2017 in Malibu, California. McCaffrey was assisted by Sorokin's longtime acquaintance Rachel Williams, with whom he arranged a lunch meeting with Sorokin outside of the addiction treatment facility where Sorokin was staying. Some weeks after her arrest, Sorokin was indicted by a grand jury on multiple counts of grand larceny.
Conviction and Imprisonment
Sorokin's trial began in March of 2019 in New York City. A little over a month later, the jury declared Sorokin guilty of eight charges. She was subsequently sentenced to four to twelve years in state prison, issued a $24,000 fine, and ordered to pay $199,000 in restitution. During the trial, Sorokin was incarcerated at Rikers Island, where she was cited 13 times for misbehavior. After the trial, she was imprisoned at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women before being transferred to Albion Correctional Facility. Having served a little over two years of her sentence, Sorokin was released on parole in February of 2021. However, six weeks later, she was taken into custody by ICE agents for overstaying her visa. In late 2022, Sorokin was granted a $10,000 bail and released from prison to be put on house arrest.
In the Media
Because of her stranger-than-fiction story, Sorokin has been the subject of books, podcasts, and television series. In 2019, her acquaintance Rachel Williams published the book "My Friend Anna," which chronicles the women's experiences together. Sorokin's story has also been featured in episodes of such television shows as "American Greed," "Generation Hustle," and "20/20," as well as on the podcast "Fake Heiress." Her greatest exposure arguably came with the 2022 Netflix miniseries "Inventing Anna," created by Shonda Rhimes. In the series, Sorokin is portrayed by Julia Garner, who earned Emmy, SAG, and Golden Globe Award nominations for her performance. Also in 2022, Sorokin signed a deal to star in a reality television series about her post-prison life.
