8. Little is known about the early life of Elmyr de Hory, as most details have only been made public in the biography "Fake!" by Clifford Irving. Why do many doubt the reliability of this information?
From Quiz Copycat
Answer:
Irving was later involved in a hoax autobiography of Howard Hughes
In 1970, Clifford Irving contacted a publisher claiming that, based on Irving's 1969 biography of Elmyr de Hory, Howard Hughes had agreed to interviews that would lead to an authorized autobiography of the famous recluse. He produced forged letters agreeing to the arrangement, and wangled an advance of $750,000. The hoax was eventually exposed; Irving spent 17 months in prison for the fraud.
Given that both the author and the subject of the book "Fake!" are known for their prowess in deception, its information must be taken with a large grain of salt. For what it's worth, based on that book and other unauthoritative sources, he was apparently born in 1905 or 1906 in Hungary, and studied art in Budapest, Munich and Paris. A friendship with a suspected spy landed him in a Transylvanian jail, from which he was released during World War II, only to be sent to a concentration camp from which he escaped. He eventually returned to Paris, where he attempted to make a living as an artist.