The most expensive single item stolen is often considered Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, valued at billions, though the largest art theft by value was the 1990 Gardner Museum heist (around $500M in art including Vermeer's The Concert), while Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme defrauded billions, but wasn't a traditional theft. Other massive thefts include the Antwerp Diamond Heist (over $100M in jewels) and the Saliera salt cellar ($60M).
The largest art theft in world history occurred in Boston on March 18, 1990, when thieves stole 13 pieces, collectively valued at $500 million, from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Among the pieces stolen was Vermeer's The Concert, which is considered to be the most valuable stolen painting in the world.
1. Cash. Cash is always on the top of burglars' wish list. Unlike other most commonly stolen items that need to be resold in pawn shops or on the street, cash can be used directly and quickly without any conspicuous.
The Antwerp diamond heist, dubbed the "heist of the century", was the largest ever diamond heist and one of the largest robberies in history. Thieves stole loose diamonds, gold, silver and other types of jewellery valued at more than $100 million.
“The Concert”, Johannes Vermeer
Estimated to worth anywhere upwards of $200 million, the painting holds the record for most valuable unrecovered stolen work of art. The thieves dressed as Boston Police officers and sported fake mustaches.
The $450 million painting, Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi, was bought in 2017 by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, though the purchase was made through an intermediary, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud, acting as a proxy for the Kingdom. It became the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, intended for the Louvre Abu Dhabi but its current location remains unknown, according to reports.
A number of Hitler's paintings were seized by the United States Army (some believed to still be in Germany) at the end of World War II. They were taken to the United States with other captured materials and are still held by the U.S. government, which has declined to allow them to be exhibited.
Loot the central bank by abusing political power
One of the largest bank robberies in history took place in March 2003 when Saddam Hussein pulled out approximately US$1 billion from the Central Bank of Iraq, just hours before the US began bombing Baghdad.
Of all the lurid desperadoes, one man, John Herbert Dillinger, came to evoke this Gangster Era and stirred mass emotion to a degree rarely seen in this country. Dillinger, whose name once dominated the headlines, was a notorious and vicious thief.
The biggest cash heist in L.A. history didn't go down at a bank. It occurred at a warehouse in a quiet corner of Sylmar. Early on March 31, thieves breached the roof of a Roxford Street facility maintained by security services company GardaWorld and stole as much $30 million from the vault.
The Guinness Book of Records records its own issues as the most stolen book from public libraries in the United States. It is followed in the ranking by the Christian Bible in its different languages and editions.
While pets can sometimes be the target of thieves and robbers, livestock was the least common category of stolen items, according to the UCR data.
The items most frequently stolen during residential break-ins include:
In the early morning of August 21, 1911, former Louvre employee, Vincenzo Perugia, made off with the “Mona Lisa,” with hopes to return the painting to her rightful home, Italy. This act would soon become one of the largest features in reporting history, rendering the “Mona Lisa” world-renown. Read more about it!
Jewelry is an easy thing for burglars to steal because, like cash, it is untraceable. Burglars can easily take your jewelry to pawn shops to turn your valuables into cash for themselves. This is why it is so important to keep your jewelry safe.
The record payment for a work is approximately US $450.3 million (which includes commission) for the work Salvator Mundi ( c. 1500) generally considered to be by Leonardo da Vinci, though this is disputed. The painting was sold in November 2017, through the auction house Christie's in New York City.
Alphonse Gabriel Capone (/kəˈpoʊn/ kə-POHN; Italian: [kaˈpoːne]; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-founder and boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1925 to 1931.
This record was broken by the Tonbridge heist. The largest cash heist in global history took place in March 2003, when approximately US$1 billion was stolen from the Central Bank of Iraq, shortly after the United States began the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
United States Dollar to Iraqi Dinar conversion tables
The current value of 1 USD is IQD 1,310 IQD. In other words, to buy 5 United States Dollar, it would cost you IQD 6,552 IQD.
Right now, 1 Gram Gold is worth about IQD 191,101.68.
Large-value US robberies
Manhattan Savings Institution robbery, 1878, $2.7 million ($81.5 million in 2024) including $12,000 in cash, with the rest in securities, done by George Leonidas Leslie and carried out by "Jimmy" Hope, Samuel Perris and others.
Art is a broad human activity using skill and imagination to create works (visual, auditory, performing) that express ideas, evoke emotions, or are appreciated for beauty, ranging from paintings and music to theater and literature, reflecting culture and individual vision across time. It's diverse, subjective, and encompasses activities from fine arts (painting, sculpture) to applied arts (design, crafts) and performing arts (music, dance, theater).
The analysis of Hitler's DNA helps dispel the myth that he supposedly had Jewish ancestry. But it reveals something else: Adolf Hitler stands out genetically when it comes to predisposition for certain psychiatric disorders and brain developmental conditions.
Then, saying "It is finished, goodbye", Hitler took Eva back into their rooms for the last time. During the afternoon Hitler shot himself and Eva took the poison capsule that he had given her.