Who faked being a Rockefeller?

Some people have gone to great lengths to pretend they are something they're not. In the early 2000s, a German man named Christian Gerhartsreiter posed as a member of the Rockefeller family. For years, he managed to fool many people, including his own wife. Eventually, his true identity was revealed, and he was sentenced to 27 years in prison for various crimes, including kidnapping and fraud.

Is The Man in the Rockefeller Suit true story?

It has been said that the book is based on a true story, but there is no evidence to support this claim. There are many similarities between the book and real life, but it is impossible to know for sure if the Man in the Rockefeller Suit is based on a true story.

Did Clark Rockefeller kidnap his daughter?

Some believe that Clark Rockefeller may have kidnapped his daughter, Reigh "Snooks" Boss, in order to keep her away from her mother. Others believe that he simply wanted to protect her from the media frenzy surrounding her parents' divorce. Regardless of his motivations, Rockefeller's actions sparked a massive manhunt and raised questions about his true identity. Rockefeller claimed to be a member of the famed Rockefeller family, but it was later revealed that he was actually German con artist Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter. He had assumed various identities over the years, including that of a wealthy businessman and an Ivy League-educated art dealer. In 2008, Gerhartsreiter was convicted of kidnapping Snooks and sentenced to four to five years in prison. He is currently awaiting trial for the murder of John Sohus, who disappeared in 1985 while living with Gerhartsreiter in California.

Where is Clark Rockefeller today?

Rockefeller's whereabouts are unknown as of today. He was last seen in 2008 and is presumed to be living under an assumed name. It is believed that he has access to a large sum of money, so he may be living comfortably somewhere. However, there have been no confirmed sightings of him since he disappeared.

Has Linda Sohus ever been found?

As of today, Linda Sohus has not been found. Her family last saw her in 1985, and she was declared legally dead in 1994. Despite this, there have been a few reported sightings of her over the years. In 2006, a woman claimed to have seen Linda in a store in Ohio. The woman said that Linda was using the name "Sarah", and she appeared to be living in fear. Another sighting was reported in 2012, when a woman claimed to have seen Linda working at a Walmart in Texas. However, these sightings have not been confirmed and it is still unknown what happened to Linda Sohus.

Where is Linda Sohus?

On February 9, 1985, John Sohus disappeared from his home in San Marino, California. His wife, Linda, told police that he had gone on a trip to Europe and she hadn't heard from him since. Linda continued to live in the house and even took in a boarder, Christopher Chichester, who claimed to be a British lord. Then, in 1987, construction workers digging a pool in the backyard of the Sohus home unearthed two human skeletons. One was later identified as John Sohus. The other has never been conclusively identified but is believed to be Linda. Linda's disappearance and the discovery of the bodies raised many questions, but the case went cold until 1994 when Christopher Chichester was arrested in England for impersonating a member of the nobility. He was extradited to the United States where he was charged with murdering John Sohus. At Chichester's trial, prosecutors argued that he killed John because he was jealous of the relationship between John and Linda. They also suggested that Linda may have been killed because she knew too much about what happened to her husband. Chichester was ultimately acquitted of the murder charge, but he is still considered a suspect in Linda's disappearance. No one knows for sure what happened to Linda Sohus, but her case remains unsolved.

Is Sandra Boss married?

No, Sandra Boss is not married. She was previously married to Robert Herjavec, but the couple divorced in 2016.

Criminal Records ›

Christian Gerhartsreiter: The Serial Impostor Who Posed as Clark Rockefeller

by Robert Fox

Christian Gerhartsreiter is a German-born American impostor who assumed multiple identities, including that of Clark Rockefeller, a member of the wealthy Rockefeller family. He was convicted in 2013 of kidnapping his seven-year-old daughter, Reigh "Snooks" Boss.

Contents

Early life and aliases
Rockefeller imposture

Early life and aliases

Gerhartsreiter was born in Bergen, West Germany (now Germany), on February 21, 1961, to parents Christian Gerhartsreiter and Roswitha Schule. He emigrated to the United States with his family in 1962 and became a naturalized citizen in 1967.

Clark was 17 years old when he first arrived in the US. Photo: Toutiao

In 1978, Gerhartsreiter began using the name Christopher Chichester when he moved to Britain to attend Clarendon College, a now-defunct college affiliated with the University of Oxford. While attending Clarendon, Gerhartsreiter assumed the identity of a wealthy British student and befriended members of the British aristocracy.

In 1980, he moved to California and enrolled at Hollywood High School, where he took on the name Christopher Mountbatten Churchill. He then attended Bergen Community College in New Jersey and Antioch College in Ohio before moving back to California.

In 1985, Gerhartsreiter began using the name Jonathan Srisung when he married Sandra Boss, a Harvard Business School student from Greenwich, Connecticut. The couple had one child together, a daughter named Reigh "Snooks" Boss.

Clark "makeovers", changes hairstyle, clothes to fit the status of royal descendants. Photo: Toutiao

In the early 1990s, Gerhartsreiter began calling himself Christopher Crowe and started working as a bond trader on Wall Street. In 1995, he moved to San Marino, California, and assumed the identity of Clark Rockefeller. He created a fake pedigree by claiming to be a member of the wealthy Rockefeller family.

Also Read: Dorothea Puente: the Boarding House of Death

Rockefeller imposture

In 1998, Gerhartsreiter met Thomas M.Gilbane Jr., the heir to the Gilbane Construction Company fortune, at a party in Newport, Rhode Island. The two men became friends and business partners, with Gerhartsreiter convincing Gilbane to invest $800,000 in a hedge fund that he was supposedly starting.

In 1999, Gerhartsreiter met Sandra Boss, one of the world's richest women, through a mutual friend. The two married in 2000 and had a daughter together, whom they named Reigh "Snooks" Boss. The couple have an estimated net worth of $US300 million ($413 million), according to Forbes magazine. Boss is a partner at the Boston Consulting Group and a former managing director at Morgan Stanley. She also sits on the boards of several companies, including The Walt Disney Company and Starbucks.

Clark, 34 years old, has finally found the perfect "parasite" place, the talented rich wife of a billion-dollar corporation. Photo: Toutiao

In 2007, Boss divorced Gerhartsreiter after she learned that he had lied about his identity. She was awarded full custody of their daughter.

On July 27, 2008, Gerhartsreiter kidnapped his daughter from her mother's home in Boston, Massachusetts. He took the girl to Baltimore, Maryland, where he was apprehended by police. He was charged with kidnapping and child custody interference and was later convicted of both charges.

In 2013, Gerhartsreiter was sentenced to four to five years in prison for the kidnapping. He is currently incarcerated at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts.

About Robert Fox

Robert Fox spent ten years teaching self-defence in Miami before transitioning into home security consulting and writing — a background that gives him an unusually practical, threat-aware perspective on residential security. His experience spans physical security assessment, lock and alarm system evaluation, and the behavioral habits that make homes harder targets. At YourHomeSecurityWatch, he covers home security product reviews, background check and criminal records resources, and practical guides on protecting your property and family.