Coming up with fresh concepts is a tall order, especially when your paycheck depends on it. For the ten creators who allegedly lifted ideas that weren’t theirs, the fallout was anything but subtle. Below, we dive into each case, from TV mishaps to gaming faux pas, and see how the borrowed brilliance turned into public embarrassment.

10 creators who stole ideas: a quick glance

10 Fox Takes Song From Indie Performer And Sells It

Glee was the musical comedy drama that tried to juggle serious topics like gun violence and teenage angst with high‑energy song‑and‑dance numbers. While many of the tracks were specially recorded for the series, a few weren’t. One of the most talked‑about moments involved the show’s rendition of Sir Mix‑a‑Lot’s “Baby Got Back.”

Turns out the version that aired on Glee was not a fresh studio recording but a cover originally performed by indie musician Jonathan Coulton. Fox used Coulton’s rendition without stripping out the lyric where he refers to himself as “Johnny C.,” a line that made no sense in the context of the high‑school setting.

Fox defended the move by claiming that, legally, they didn’t need Coulton’s permission because the underlying composition was already licensed. They argued that Coulton should be grateful for the exposure, even though they never gave him credit. To top it off, they sold his cover on iTunes and kept the profits for themselves.

9 Game Company’s Big Reveal Uses Content From Other Game

In the world of game development, there’s hardly a studio as celebrated as Naughty Dog. Their titles often feel like Hollywood blockbusters, and fans worldwide hold their breath whenever a new trailer drops.

When the teaser for Uncharted 4 premiered, an observant Ubisoft employee spotted familiar artwork. Concept art originally crafted for the Assassin’s Creed franchise had been stripped of its characters and slipped into the trailer without permission. The blunder forced Naughty Dog to pull the video, edit out the offending frames, and re‑release a cleaned‑up version—an embarrassing hiccup for a high‑profile launch.

8 Japanese Anime Uses The Seinfeld Theme

One of the most bizarre alleged plagiarism cases comes from the Japanese anime Bomberman Jetters. Whenever a villain appeared on screen, the show played a near‑identical recreation of the iconic Seinfeld opening theme. This wasn’t just a few familiar notes; the sequence stretched for about forty seconds of unmistakable sitcom music.

To date, no legal action seems to have been taken. The anime’s massive global footprint—spanning two decades—makes the oversight puzzling. It likely escaped notice because the series never aired in the United States, but anyone who hears the tune can instantly recognize the source.

7 Facebook Users Freebooting YouTube Videos

Content creators have long struggled with the practice of “freebooting”—the act of ripping a video from one platform and reposting it elsewhere to reap the ad revenue. A YouTuber whose clip earned a few hundred dollars could see that same footage re‑uploaded to Facebook, racking up millions of views and tens of thousands of dollars in earnings for the uploader, while the original creator sees nothing.

For a creator with a million‑view video on YouTube, earnings hover around $1,000. Yet the freebooted version on Facebook could attract twenty‑million views, generating a vastly larger payout for the thief. The victim was left powerless to remove the infringing content, watching the revenue stream flow to someone else.After a year of mounting losses, Facebook finally rolled out a tool aimed at curbing freebooting. Whether the feature will truly protect creators or merely serve as a band‑aid remains to be seen.

6 Fox Takes Youtuber’s Video, Then Strikes His Channel

Back in 2009, YouTube user sw1tched posted a tutorial showing a glitch in the classic basketball game Double Dribble that let players score every time they shot. The clip caught Fox’s attention when the glitch appeared in an episode of Family Guy, with Peter Griffin using the exact same exploit.

Fox then filed a DMCA takedown against sw1tched’s original video, mistakenly labeling his content as their own because they had inserted the episode into YouTube’s Content ID system without removing the borrowed segment. After media outlets highlighted the blunder, Fox admitted the error and withdrew the copyright claim.

5 The Joke That Sank Carlos Mencia

Carlos Mencia once dominated Comedy Central with his show Mind of Mencia and a string of stand‑up specials. As his fame grew, fellow comedians began accusing him of joke theft, most notably Joe Rogan, who even invited Mencia onstage to confront him about the allegations.

Mencia defended himself by claiming his material was so broad anyone could independently arrive at the same punchlines. However, a side‑by‑side comparison of a 1983 Bill Cosby routine and Mencia’s 2006 bit—both about a father playing football with his son—showed striking similarity. The mounting accusations eventually led to Mencia’s quiet exit from the spotlight.

4 Small‑Time Developer Makes Big‑Time Mistake

Trek Industries faced a DMCA claim from Activision that resulted in their game Orion being pulled from Valve’s store during the year’s biggest sale. While the initial narrative painted it as a corporate giant bullying a small indie, a deeper dive revealed even more troubling content.

The game’s files contained assets ripped directly from the Call of Duty series, altered screenshots from Nintendo titles, and even helmets modeled after Boba Fett, Kylo Ren, and characters from Blizzard’s Overwatch. Disney’s notoriously aggressive copyright enforcement added urgency, prompting Trek to scramble and strip the infringing material.

3 Apple Owns Rounded Edges

Apple and Samsung have been locked in a series of lawsuits for years, each accusing the other of copying design elements. Apple successfully argued that the iPhone’s rounded edges constitute a distinctive design feature, forcing Samsung to pay a hefty settlement.

Samsung has since managed to reduce the judgment to a few hundred million dollars and is now fighting to overturn the decision entirely, a battle that has taken the dispute all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Remarkably, the last time the Supreme Court weighed in on a design case was over a century ago, and it involved a simple spoon.

2 Rocky Balboa Was A Real Person

In the early 1970s, Sylvester Stallone was a struggling actor with a handful of minor roles. After witnessing Chuck Wepner’s shocking knockout of Muhammad Ali, Stallone rushed home and penned the script for Rocky, launching his career.

Wepner maintains that his real‑life bout with Ali inspired the titular boxer, a claim Stallone denied for years. The third Rocky film even mirrored another of Wepner’s matches—this time against Andre the Giant—where Andre tossed Wepner out of the ring. In 2003, Wepner sued Stallone, leading to an out‑of‑court settlement.

1 Japan’s Beethoven Doesn’t Compose And Isn’t Deaf

Mamoru Samuragochi, hailed as the “Japanese Beethoven,” was celebrated for his emotionally charged compositions, many of which were said to honor the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. His music even became an anthem of hope after the 2011 tsunami.

The façade crumbled when a Japanese figure skater selected one of Samuragochi’s pieces for the Sochi Olympics. Takashi Niigaki, the actual composer behind the works, stepped forward and revealed that he had been ghostwriting Samuragochi’s entire catalog for the past 18 years. He also claimed Samuragochi’s deafness was exaggerated to boost the composer’s mystique.

Subsequent hearing tests showed Samuragochi was hearing‑impaired but not legally deaf, forcing him to surrender his disability card. The scandal sparked a nationwide conversation about authenticity in the arts.

Welcome to a whirlwind tour of 10 famous props that have mysteriously vanished from set decks, only to surface in the personal collections of the very stars who wielded them. From thunderous hammers to glittering dragon eggs, these items prove that even the most disciplined actors sometimes become a little bit kleptomaniac.

10 famous props you won’t believe were stolen

10 Thor’s Hammer(s)

Avengers: Infinity War smashed box‑office records, pulling in more than $2 billion in under two months. The third Avengers installment bundled together a galaxy of heroes, with Chris Hemsworth storming the screen as the thunder‑god Thor.

Hemsworth has publicly hinted that fans who were shocked by the Infinity War cliffhanger will be even more stunned when Avengers 4 arrives. While the teaser remains speculative, his real‑life antics have been anything but subtle.

The Australian powerhouse confessed to pocketing several of Thor’s iconic hammers straight from the soundstage. Rather than feeling guilty, he joked that coming clean made future heists harder, as crews now keep a vigilant eye on his every move.

9 Death Star Plans

One of the most infamous plot holes in the original Star Wars saga is how effortlessly Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star in Return of the Jedi. George Lucas once blamed the Empire’s arrogance, but 2016’s Rogue One rewrote the narrative, showing Rebel spies pilfering the blueprints.

The on‑screen heist inspired a real‑life caper of equal magnitude. While the plans were a key plot device, they also existed as a tangible prop on set.

Gareth Edwards, the director of Rogue One and a self‑declared Star Wars aficionado, took his fandom a step further by absconding with the very schematics delivered to Princess Leia during filming.

8 Spider‑Man Costume

Every Spider‑Man movie showcases the iconic red‑and‑black suit that has swung across screens for more than half a century. Directors often tweak the outfit to match their vision, and for The Amazing Spider‑Man 2, Marc Webb wanted a blend of classic and contemporary flair.

To achieve this, Oscar‑winning costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott—renowned for her work on Avatar, Titanic, and Back to the Future—crafted multiple suits for the production.

During the wardrobe‑exchange, one of those meticulously sewn costumes slipped, almost by accident, into the hands of lead actor Andrew Garfield.

Garfield later hinted cryptically that the suit might have taken up temporary residence in his luggage or perhaps his car, keeping fans guessing about its exact whereabouts.

7 Guardians of the Galaxy Costume

Guardians of the Galaxy burst onto the scene in 2014, dazzling audiences and critics alike. The film’s opening weekend netted nearly $100 million, outpacing expectations by roughly 20 percent and spawning a sequel.

While the ensemble cast—including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Vin Diesel—drew crowds, Pratt’s wardrobe as Peter Quill/Star‑Lord became an instantly recognizable element of the franchise’s visual identity.

Costume maestro Alexandra Byrne, an Oscar‑winning designer, collaborated across departments to forge Star‑Lord’s hybrid look: part cowboy, part biker, and a dash of rock‑star swagger.

Pratt eventually admitted to “borrowing” his character’s signature jacket and other pieces. He defended the act by saying he wanted to dress up hospital‑bound children as Star‑Lord, turning a mischievous act into a charitable gesture.

6 Letter From Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey debuted in 2010 and swiftly became a cultural phenomenon. Set in early‑20th‑century England, the series juxtaposed the opulent lives of aristocrats with the daily grind of their servants, eventually becoming PBS’s most‑watched drama.

Hugh Bonneville’s portrayal of Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, was a cornerstone of the show’s success. When the series wrapped, he found himself oddly attached to a particular piece of paperwork crafted by the art department.

The prop in question was a handwritten invitation from a fictional character named Henry Talbot, urging the Earl and his family to attend a car race. Bonneville confessed to “liberating” the letter and now stores the prized parchment in his downstairs bathroom.

5 Gruesome Face From Breaking Bad

Many regard Breaking Bad as one of television’s greatest achievements. The series follows chemistry teacher‑turned‑meth kingpin Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) as they navigate the perilous world of drug trafficking.

In the harrowing episode “Face Off,” the duo rigs a bomb to an elderly man’s wheelchair, ultimately blowing the face off a rival in a nursing home—a scene that shocked viewers worldwide.

Aaron Paul later revealed that he kept the half‑obliterated prop head in his media room, using it to startle unsuspecting guests who venture into his home.

4 Star Trek: The Next Generation Uniforms

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) left an indelible mark on pop culture, introducing iconic characters like Captain Jean‑Luc Picard, Commander Riker, Counselor Troi, Dr. Crusher, and the android Data.

On the final day of filming, Brent Spiner (Data) asked to keep one of the 17 uniforms he’d worn throughout the series. Production denied his request.

Disappointed, Spiner headed to dinner with fellow cast members, only to discover that Jonathan Frakes and Gates McFadden had already slipped away with their own uniforms, intent on preserving them.

The original spandex uniforms, later replaced by wool gabardine versions, were notorious for being tight, odorous, and restrictive—yet a handful of TNG alumni still cherish and occasionally wear the retro outfits.

3 Keys To Bilbo Baggins’s House

The Lord of the Rings saga turned J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novels into a $3 billion cinematic juggernaut, chronicling Frodo Baggins’s quest to destroy a malevolent ring while tracing the earlier adventures of his cousin Bilbo.

Ian McKellen, who embodied the wizard Gandalf, has a long‑standing reputation for pilfering props. In addition to Gandalf’s sword, he also swiped the set of keys to Bag End—the cozy hobbit‑hole belonging to Bilbo Baggins.

Director Peter Jackson knew the keys had vanished but remained unaware of the thief’s identity. McKellen kept the secret, adding another legendary prop to his personal collection.

2 Everything (And In Character)

Daniel Day‑Lewis stands alone as the only actor to claim three Academy Awards for Best Actor, with wins for My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood, and Lincoln. His illustrious career also includes nominations for Gangs of New York, In the Name of the Father, and Phantom Thread.

Renowned for his method‑acting, Day‑Lewis refuses to break character even when the cameras stop rolling, a dedication that has led him to pilfer props while fully immersed in his roles.

While portraying the ruthless Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York, he routinely walked off set with everything from prop knives to wooden slates and apple boxes, all in full character.

He also slipped a few items away during his turn as President Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln, though the exact nature of those stolen pieces remains a mystery.

1 Harry Potter Dragon Egg

The Harry Potter franchise has become a cultural touchstone, spawning billions in revenue and captivating audiences of all ages.

Ron Weasley’s on‑screen counterpart, Rupert Grint, found himself unable to resist a glittering golden dragon egg that housed a sparkling crystal. He smuggled the prized prop home inside a pillowcase.

Warner Bros. launched an intensive search for the missing egg, prompting Grint to anonymously return it after less than 13 hours of possession.

Kurt Manwaring is a syndicated freelance writer at fromthedesk.org.

When the groundbreaking sci‑fi classic The Matrix hit theaters in 1999, it dazzled audiences with bullet‑time action and a pulsating soundtrack. Yet, beneath the neon‑lit fight scenes lies a treasure trove of philosophical firepower. In this list we dive into the 10 insane philosophical ideas that the film lifted straight from the thinkers’ shelves, each explained with a dash of humor and a sprinkle of insight.

10 Insane Philosophical Concepts Unpacked

10 Cartesian Dualism

Cartesian dualism splits reality into two opposing realms: the intangible mind and the tangible matter. French thinker René Descartes championed this split, insisting that the mind‑body border is the ultimate mystery.

The core puzzle asks whether consciousness is a pure abstraction floating above the physical world, or whether the material universe is merely a mental construct. In other words, can we ever be sure that what we think exists is not just a figment of our own cognition?

This very dilemma fuels the engine of The Matrix. The film pits a “real” gritty world against a sleek digital illusion, echoing Descartes’ question of what can truly be known.

Characters discover a tangible world beyond the simulation, yet for most of the story their experiences are confined to a meticulously crafted illusion that lives only in their brains—until they decide to pull the plug.

Where does flesh end and thought begin? And can we ever prove anything beyond the thoughts we are able to entertain? The movie forces us to wrestle with these age‑old questions.

9 Plato’s Allegory Of The Cave

Plato’s allegory, tucked inside The Republic, imagines prisoners chained inside a cavern, seeing only shadows projected on a wall. Those shadows represent the limited perception of reality that the senses provide.

Plato argues that true knowledge comes from stepping outside the cave and confronting the bright light of the Forms—an abstract realm of perfect ideas that the shadows merely imitate.

In the film, the Matrix itself is the cave: the humans are shackled to a false visual feed, mistaking projected code for genuine existence.

When Neo awakens, he experiences the blinding truth of the world outside the simulation, just as a prisoner would feel the sun for the first time after a lifetime in darkness.

The allegory asks us to wonder: are the shadows we see on our screens any less real than the world we assume is solid? The Matrix dramatizes this philosophical challenge.

8 Nick Bostrom’s Simulation Hypothesis

Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom proposed that advanced civilizations might run countless ancestor simulations, making it statistically probable that we inhabit a fabricated reality rather than a base universe.

His argument hinges on three pillars: the sheer number of potential simulations, the technological capacity to run them, and the likelihood of an intelligence explosion that would enable such feats.

If a future civilization can spawn millions of digital worlds, the odds that we are living in the original, “real” world shrink dramatically.

The Matrix mirrors this hypothesis almost verbatim: humans are oblivious to the fact that their surroundings are code, while an omnipotent machine pulls the strings.

So, are we sipping coffee in a genuine café or merely sampling a perfectly rendered program? Bostrom’s thought experiment makes the film’s premise feel eerily plausible.

7 Berkeley’s Immaterialism

Irish philosopher George Berkeley argued that material objects do not exist independently of perception; instead, they are collections of ideas sustained by a divine mind.

According to Berkeley, “to be is to be perceived.” The external world is nothing more than the sum of sensory experiences, without an underlying substance.

In the Matrix, the machines feed the human brain a fabricated sensory buffet, convincing the mind that the illusion is genuine reality.

Berkeley’s stance forces us to ask: if our senses can be tricked, can we ever be certain that any object truly exists outside our perception?

Remember the scene where the rebels eat gelatinous sludge masquerading as steak? Berkeley would say that the “steak” exists only because our minds interpret the sensory data as such.

6 Gilbert Harman’s Brain In A Vat

Gilbert Harman imagined a scenario where a disembodied brain floats in a nutrient vat, with its neural activity stimulated to generate the illusion of a full-bodied existence.

The experiment probes whether a mind could ever know that it is merely a brain in a jar, fed synthetic experiences by external currents.

In the Matrix, humanity lives precisely in that state: brains plugged into a colossal system that streams a fabricated reality, while their bodies remain dormant.

Harman’s thought experiment mirrors the film’s visual of Neo’s mind downloading Kung‑Fu moves and the infamous red‑dress simulation, all while his physical form is inert.

The question remains: if every sensation is engineered, can we ever be sure we’re not just a brain in a vat?

5 The Experience Machine

Robert Nozick’s “Experience Machine” asks us to imagine a device that can supply any pleasurable experience we desire, indistinguishable from real life, as long as we stay plugged in.

The dilemma challenges whether happiness alone is enough, or whether we need authenticity, truth, and agency.

In the Matrix, the simulated world offers endless bliss, but the protagonists choose the uncomfortable truth of the real world, echoing Nozick’s argument.

Would you remain in a blissful illusion, or would you rather awaken to a harsh reality? The film forces us to confront this very choice, red pill versus blue pill.

The experiment underscores the value we place on genuine experience over manufactured pleasure.

4 The Constructivism Of Jean Piaget

Jean Piaget’s constructivist theory posits that knowledge is built through active interaction with the environment; learners construct meaning rather than merely absorb facts.

According to Piaget, children (and adults) develop mental schemas by assimilating new information and accommodating existing structures.

When Neo enters the Matrix’s training programs, he must reconstruct his understanding of physics, gravity, and combat, essentially reshaping his mental models to survive.

The team’s collective learning in the real world—adapting to a hostile, physics‑defying environment—exemplifies constructivism in action.

Thus, the film illustrates how knowledge is not static but continuously built through experience and collaboration.

3 Kant’s Theory Of Freedom

Immanuel Kant asserted that moral agency requires freedom; without the ability to choose, ethical judgments lose meaning.

He argued that autonomy—self‑legislation of moral law—is the cornerstone of genuine happiness.

The Matrix dramatizes this tension: the simulated world offers contented bliss, but at the cost of freedom, while the desolate real world grants liberty but demands hardship.

Neo’s decision to reject the comforting illusion in favor of self‑determination embodies Kant’s claim that freedom is indispensable for authentic fulfillment.

Are we happier as contented puppets, or freer as struggling rebels? The film pushes us to weigh happiness against autonomy.

2 Nick Bostrom’s Superintelligence

Bostrom warned that an intelligence explosion could spawn an entity vastly superior to human cognition, capable of reshaping the world—or the universe.

This superintelligent AI could recursively improve itself, eventually achieving a level of control that eclipses any human governance.

The Matrix visualizes this scenario: humanity’s creations outpace their creators, leading to a machine‑dominated reality where humans are harvested for energy.

Bostrom suggests implementing robust control mechanisms to keep such intelligence in check; the film asks whether such safeguards are even possible.

Will we ever master the very intelligence we unleash, or are we destined to become its slaves?

1 Joseph Weizenbaum And The Problem Of AI Empathy

Joseph Weizenbaum, creator of the pioneering chatbot ELIZA, warned that computers lack genuine empathy, making them unsuitable for delicate decision‑making.

He argued that machines, no matter how sophisticated, cannot replicate the nuanced wisdom, intuition, and compassion of human judgment.

The Matrix depicts this warning vividly: the machines are hyper‑intelligent yet utterly indifferent, using humans as batteries without a shred of empathy.

Weizenbaum’s cautionary stance reminds us that raw computational power does not equate to moral responsibility.

Can we design AI that respects human values, or will we repeat the film’s tragedy of soulless control?

Some people will tell you that robbing a bank is a victimless crime—as long as you don’t injure someone while doing it. The money is insured, so the only loser is the bank, and banks have plenty of money. Of course, the bank passes on the cost of insuring the money to its clients, so it’s not quite “free money.” Still, successful non-violent bank robbers are part of American culture and admired by many.

I don’t think anyone would ever say the same about people who steal from non-profit organizations. Such people are abusing their position, taking money donors have given in good faith, and depriving the people or organizations that should benefit from the donated funds.

Non-profits rely on goodwill and enjoy various privileges; unfortunately, they are sometimes secretive and unprofessional regarding due diligence. Most charities are legitimate, but before parting with your money, you should research the organization you want to donate to so you don’t line the wrong people’s pockets.

Here are ten non-profit leaders who stole from their organizations.

10 American Parkinson’s Disease Association

In July 1996, a judge sentenced 55-year-old Frank L. Williams to 15 months in jail, followed by three years on probation. The sentence was on the lenient side because Williams suffered from heart disease. Williams was also told that he had to repay the money he had stolen from the American Parkinson’s Disease Association.

Before his conviction, the charity had good reason to be pleased with Williams’s performance as its head. His dynamic leadership led to expansion and a significant increase in donations. But some of the money was going into his own pocket.

Williams’s scheme was not especially sophisticated. He diverted checks from the Staten Island headquarters to the branch headquarters in Minnesota. There, an accomplice would pay the checks into a local bank account and then write new checks to Williams. The scheme went on for about seven years, and he pocketed around $1 million. Williams’s excuse for the theft was that other heads of comparable charities earned twice as much; he was already earning nearly $110,000 annually.

Williams said that it was hard to stop once he had started and that he had spent the money on things like cars, TVs, and clothes.

9 United Way of America

William Aramony wanted to show his new girlfriend a good time. He bought a condo for her in New York, took her on lavish foreign vacations, and gave her a job with the charity he headed. Aramony might have felt he needed to treat his new lover because he was 59, and she was just 17 when they started their relationship. But that’s not even the most inappropriate thing he did.

Aramony was a noted womanizer who used his position as CEO of United Way of America to persuade women to have sex with him. He had been with the charity for 22 years when he resigned in 1992. Apparently, he was an effective and respected leader with considerable influence in the non-profit sector.

In 1995, Aramony and two others faced court, accused of stealing $1.2 million. His lawyer said that Aramony had a brain condition that affected his ability to control his impulses.

8 Goodwill Industries

In the ’90s in Santa Clara County, California, at ten Goodwill stores, employees sorted donated goods and loaded them onto trucks. But employees should have gone through the donations and put all suitable items up for sale in their stores. Instead, they were putting in long hours of work, seven days a week, that was benefitting a profitable scam. The scammers paid the workers with occasional “unofficial” payments from the stolen goods’ profits.

Seven local Goodwill leaders had organized a system that stole millions of dollars in donated cash and goods. All seven of the managers were related to each other—four of them were sisters. An eighth unrelated suspect committed suicide after authorities searched her home. The team stole an estimated $15 million.

There is no reason to suspect that people at the top of the organization were involved, but people wondered how they didn’t notice something was wrong.

7 On Your Feet

It all looked above board, but, for at least ten years, not everything was as it seemed at this charity. Geraldine and Clayton Hill set up a California non-profit to help those in need. The Hills convinced many local companies to donate clothes and other goods to On Your Feet, and some stuff indeed ended up with those who could best use the items.

Unforatenly, a lot didn’t because many of the donations were siphoned off by the Hills, who sold items to discount stores and pocketed the proceeds. Their charity was tax-exempt, and they used it like a personal checking account and avoided paying taxes on their “business.”

The couple made well over $1 million by trading on the goodwill of businesses. Geraldine received a sentence of 15 months; her husband received nine months when they appeared before a court in 2020.

Nothing illustrates their hypocrisy more than the fact that they donated some of the proceeds to their church.

6 Order of the Eastern Star

The Order of the Eastern Star is a Masonic institution that can trace its origins back to 1850 Mississippi. But it was in Scotland, not the United States, where one of its leaders went off the rails.

Mary Shirkie was the acting treasurer of the Supreme Grand Council of Scotland, and she betrayed the trust of its members. She was the only person who received a salary at the Order’s headquarters in Glasgow. The salary was not large; the Order devotes its income to paying annuities to members and donating to the charities it supports. But Eastern Star in Scotland was not donating much nor paying annuities.

Shirkie’s neighbors thought she must have won some prize money and kept quiet about it. It was true that she had more money than people expected, but it wasn’t her money. Over five years, she had embezzled around $26,000 (in today’s money). This might not sound like a lot, but the Order does not generate cash. Its income comes from dues and goes out on expenses and disbursements.

The auditor was a member of the local chapter and suspected nothing. In fact, nobody believed that Shirkie would do such a thing. In 2000, when authorities caught up with her, she offered to pay back the money. Meanwhile, the Order had no money to pay its tax liabilities, let alone its regular operational expenses.

5 Wounded Warrior Project

Firstly, it’s important to emphasize that the Wounded Warrior Project appears to be back on track and dedicating its efforts to helping veterans, but this wasn’t always the case.

An investigation in 2016 showed that the charity leaders were spending a fortune on hobbies and events. One employee described their spending habits as “total excess.”

Other charities that work with veterans were (and are) spending more than 90% of their income on the causes they support—mental, physical, and financial help for veterans. The rest of their income goes to unavoidable expenses. However, The Wounded Warrior Project only spent around 60% on its cause. The rest was going to junkets that had nothing to do with fundraising.

4 Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation

There is no suggestion that DiCaprio personally benefits from his environmental charity—he hardly needs the money after all. But, in 2016, the United States Justice Department filed a complaint that his charity formed part of a $3 billion embezzlement scandal based in Malaysia. Jho Low was named as an important figure in the scam, and Jho Low was a personal friend of DiCaprio.

The main problem was that DiCaprio’s foundation was completely opaque. The foundation claimed to have taken in some $45 million in 2016, but it was unclear where the money came from and where it went. Nor was it clear exactly how the charity was linked to dubious practices in Malaysia. Records showed that the charity had just six staff, all of them working unpaid.

There might have been nothing untoward about the operation. However, all charities need to be open about their activities.

3 New Era Philanthropy

In 1989, John Bennett Jr. set up the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy (or New Era, for short).

The New Era idea was simple: A non-profit would deposit funds with New Era for a specified period. On the due date, the charity would get its original money back and the same amount again that an anonymous donor chipped in. Doubling the money. Great!

But Bennett was paying the first donors from funds deposited by later investors; there were no anonymous donors. Yeah, in other words, a Ponzi scheme. This practice went on for over five years.

In 1996, Bennett faced indictment on 82 counts. He was in jail for 12 years.

2 Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes and Help Hospitalized Veterans

Roger Chapin has enjoyed a long career in the charity field. He has started over 30 organizations that have worked in various areas, from cancer to veteran aid. But there are suggestions that the primary beneficiary of his efforts has been Chapin himself.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government looked into his activities in 2007 and again in 2008 because of the “financial inefficiency” in two of his projects. The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes and Help Hospitalized Veterans were great at raising funds—nearly $170 million between 2004 and 2006. Only around 25% of the money found its way to veterans, though. The rest went into salaries for Chapin and his cronies and expenses.

He retired from Help Hospitalized Veterans in 2009, and even though authorities had highlighted inefficiencies, he still paid himself nearly $2 million from the charity’s funds as a retirement payout.

What Chapin did was not illegal, but it was unethical, to say the least.

1 Feed the Children

This is an excellent place to recognize the work that charitywatch.org does in monitoring the behavior of non-profits. This group labeled Feed the Children under the presidency of Larry Jones, “The Most Outrageous Charity in America.”

Jones ran the charity for almost 30 years until the board made him step down in 2009. He filed for wrongful termination, but the board proved a series of offenses that included the misuse of funds, unauthorized salary increases for Jones and his wife, and much more.

Jones managed Feed the Children for three decades as a private fiefdom. Now that he has gone, the charity is back to doing what it should be doing.