Top 10 Biggest Grifters of All Time

A grifter is typically associated with a fraud or a hack, someone who lies and deceives people for financial gain. In recent years, these people have become increasingly noticeable.

A grifter usually pretends to be something they're not for money and frequently lies to people. If I've missed a particular one, feel free to add them.

1. Tom MacDonald

   

   Thomas "Tom" MacDonald, born on September 21, 1988, is a Canadian rapper, songwriter, and former professional wrestler. He first gained attention with his 2017 song "Dear Rappers" and has since built a large independent following, with several songs charting on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Fake... read more

   He's a Canadian rapping about American politics with an extreme alt-right bias, and it's increasingly noticeable how much he grifts.

   As far as I'm concerned, he's the biggest grifter in the rap scene right now, which doesn't surprise me. He has about as much integrity as a piece of cardboard you can find in an alleyway.

2. Ronnie Radke

   

   Ronald Joseph Radke is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, musician, and record producer from Las Vegas, Nevada. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Falling in Reverse.

   Before forming Falling in Reverse, he was the original lead singer of Escape the Fate. He recorded one... read more

   He grifts quite a lot, and I'd say his position on this list is completely warranted.

   As far as scene musicians go, he grifts like no one's business. When he's not getting triggered by someone negatively reviewing his music and threatening to sue them, that is. He's got an ego the size of Jupiter - it's nuts.

3. Aaron Lewis

   

   Aaron Lewis is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and founding member of the rock group Staind. With the band, he has released seven studio albums, and he has also pursued a solo country music career, releasing albums such as Town Line and Sinner.... read more

   The fact that he's trying to market himself as a country singer when he's from a nu-metal band, and his songs are so bad they are rejected by country music stations, speaks volumes.

   I could also talk about his noticeable alt-right grifting, but I think everyone's already aware of it, so it's kind of just stating the obvious at this point.

4. Andrew Tate

   

   Emory Andrew Tate III (born December 1, 1986) is a British-American businessman, social media personality, and former professional kickboxer.

   He became notorious for promoting various positions within the manosphere community. His controversial commentary has led to his expulsion from multiple... read more

   Can't forget one of the pioneers of grifting, Andrew Tate. He's a guy who spews a lot of nonsense, is about as intelligent as Patrick Star, and says the most idiotic things imaginable.

   He's also a blatant scammer who siphons money out of his fans with false promises and isn't genuine in the slightest.

5. Finn McKenty

   

   He recently exposed himself as a corporate grifter and fraud, saying that he was only in it for the money and didn't care about music. This deeply angered his fanbase, who felt betrayed and lied to.

   He's got the smuggest look on his face I've ever seen. The irony of him trying to market himself as a "punk rock" guy while going against every ideal of punk culture is baffling.

6. Ben Shapiro

   

   Benjamin Aaron Shapiro (born January 15, 1984) is an American conservative political commentator, media host, attorney, and author. He published his first book, Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth, in 2004 at the age of 20. Shapiro is the co-founder of The Daily Wire and hosts... read more

7. Alex Jones

   

   Alexander Emric Jones is an American radio show host and conspiracy theorist. He hosts The Alex Jones Show from Austin, Texas, which airs online and through independent syndication following the 2024 closure of the Genesis Communications Network. Jones is also the founder of the website InfoWars, which... read more

8. Donald Trump

   

   Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York) is an American businessman, television personality, politician, and the 45th and 47th President of the United States.

   Born and raised in Queens, New York City, Donald J. Trump received an economics degree from the Wharton School of the... read more

   A lot of his talking points are directly parroted from either Hitler or Ronald Reagan. His slogan was completely ripped off from Ronald Reagan, and there's evidence to suggest this if you dig deep enough.

   He's so good at grifting that his supporters don't even realize that he's doing it.

9. JD Vance

   

   James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman. August 2, 1984) is an American politician, author, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran. Since 2025, he has served as the 50th Vice President of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, Vance represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate from 2023 to 2025... read more

10. MrBeast

    

    Jimmy Donaldson (born May 7, 1998), better known online as MrBeast, is an American YouTuber who is most notable for pioneering a genre of YouTube videos that centers on expensive stunts. He created his YouTube channel in 2012, where he started posting random videos and went viral after his "Counting... read more

    Of course his Beast Games are awful and are no different than the Squid Games they're based on.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Candace Owens

    
12. ?

    Nicki Minaj

    

    Onika Tanya Maraj, known professionally as Nicki Minaj (born December 8, 1982), is a Trinidadian-American rapper and pop artist. She is widely recognized for hits like "Anaconda," "Super Bass," "Starships," and her feature on "Bang Bang."... read more

The Contenders

13. 6ix9ine

    

    Daniel Hernandez (born May 8, 1996), better known by his stage name 6ix9ine, also called Tekashi69 or Tekashi, is an American rapper known both for his music and for his legal controversies. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of using a child in a sexual performance, though he denied any sexual... read more

14. Oliver Anthony

    

15. Mike Pence

    

    Michael Richard Pence is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th Vice President of the United States from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021. He was elected alongside President Donald Trump and held office for one full term. Before becoming Vice President, Pence served as the Governor... read more

16. Mark Zuckerberg

    

    Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is best known for co-founding Facebook, Inc., where he serves as chairman and chief executive officer. Zuckerberg launched Facebook in 2004 while attending Harvard University.... read more

17. Jill Stein

    

    Jill Ellen Stein is an American physician, activist, and politician. She was the Green Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections and a candidate for governor of Massachusetts in 2002 and 2010. Stein is known for her advocacy on environmental issues and her support... read more

18. Dick Cheney

    

    Richard Bruce Cheney, commonly known as Dick Cheney, was an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He previously held roles such as White House Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford and Secretary... read more

19. Kanye West

    

    Ye (born Kanye Omari West. June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. He is regarded as one of the most influential and controversial artists of the 21st century.

    Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West initially gained fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella... read more

20. Jon Bon Jovi

    

    John Francis Bongiovi Jr. (born March 2, 1962), known by his stage name Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, philanthropist, and actor. He co-founded the rock band Bon Jovi with keyboardist David Bryan in 1983.... read more

21. Nancy Pelosi

    

    Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi (born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who currently serves as the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. She represents California's 12th Congressional District, which includes most of San Francisco. Pelosi previously served as Speaker of the House... read more

22. Liz Cheney

    

23. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

    

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the son of Robert F. Kennedy. He was a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, initially running as a Democratic candidate before switching to run as an independent. He eventually suspended his campaign in August 2024. He currently serves as the Secretary of Health and Human... read more

24. Elon Musk

    

    Elon Reeve Musk (born June 28, 1971) is a technology entrepreneur, investor, and engineer best known for being the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly known as Twitter). He co-founded PayPal, which was acquired by eBay in 2002.... read more

25. George H. W. Bush

    

    George Herbert Walker Bush (June 12, 1924 - November 30, 2018) was an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Before becoming president, he served as the 43rd Vice President under Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989. He also held several other major roles... read more

26. Sean Combs

    

    Sean John Combs, also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy, Diddy, Love, and Brother Love, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, entrepreneur, and convicted felon.

    In September 2024, Combs was arrested on federal charges including sex trafficking, racketeering... read more

27. Gavin Newsom

    

    Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman. He has been serving as the 40th governor of California since 2019 as a member of the Democratic Party.