Ruse

Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street

By: Robert Kerbeck

Narrated by: Robert Kerbeck

Winner of a 2023 Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) for Autobiography/Memoir

“Kerbeck’s juicy memoir tells riveting tales [with] the thrill of a spy novel. . . Kerbeck bares all of his wild business secrets within the world of corporate espionage” — Foreword Reviews

"Robert Kerbeck has mastered the art of social engineering, or what he calls 'rusing', and taken it to a whole new level." — Frank Abagnale, author of Catch Me If You Can

B-list actor, A-list corporate spy. . .

In the world of high finance, multibillion-dollar Wall Street banks greedily guard their secrets. Enter Robert Kerbeck, a working actor who made his real money lying on the phone, charming people into revealing their employers’ most valuable information. In this exhilarating memoir that will appeal to fans of The Wolf of Wall Street and Catch Me If You Can, unsuspecting receptionists, assistants, and bigshot executives all fall victim to “the Ruse.”

After college, Kerbeck rushed to New York to try to make it as an actor. But to support himself, he’d need a survival job, and before he knew it, while his pals were waiting tables, he began his apprenticeship as a corporate spy.

As his acting career started to take off, he found himself hobnobbing with Hollywood luminaries: drinking with Paul Newman, taking J.Lo to a Dodgers game, touring E.R. sets with George Clooney. He even worked with O.J. Simpson the week before he became America’s most notorious double murderer.

Before long, however, his once promising acting career slowed while the corporate espionage business took off. The ruse job was supposed to have been temporary, but Kerbeck became one of the world’s best practitioners of this deceptive—and illegal—trade. His income jumped from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars a year.

Until the inevitable crash…

Kerbeck shares the lies he told, the celebrities he screwed (and those who screwed him), the cons he ran, and the money he made—and lost—along the way.

couldn't stop listening

you wanted to know what Mr. Kerbeck would do next ! hopefully, it's a TV show ?

Who knew?

Mr. Kerbeck takes us on a journey through a world most of us have no concept of. He does show with the combination of intrigue, braggadocio, self deprecation and on the edge of your seat possible outcomes. He has created in himself an almost fictional character that I think might have a place in a future incarnation.

Well done

Thank you for sharing your story. I very much enjoyed Best of luck in the future.

Fascinating and Can’t Put Down!

Ruse is a captivating story told with an efficiency in writing few can attain. Mr. Kerbeck draws you into his world with every word contributing to a vibes imagery that makes you feel as if you are witnessing the events first hand. Once engaged it’s hard to stop listening to!

Great listen/read

Entertaining from start to finish! Great writing. Great narration. Fascinating life. Highly recommend the audio version.