Anna Delvey: The True Story of the Fake Heiress

You’ve probably seen the headlines and the Netflix series — the fake German heiress who charmed her way through New York’s most exclusive circles. But the real story of Anna Delvey (born Anna Sorokin) is stranger than fiction, and it’s still unfolding today.

Real name: Anna Sorokin ·
Born: January 23, 1991 ·
Notorious for: Posing as a wealthy German heiress ·
Conviction: Grand larceny, theft of services (2019) ·
Sentence: 4 to 12 years in state prison ·
Release date: February 2021

Eight key facts about Anna Delvey give a clear picture of her life and crimes.

Remember Anna Delvey, the girl that rose to fame by scamming New York’s elite?

Who is Anna Delvey?

Anna Delvey is the public name of Anna Sorokin, the real person behind the Netflix series Inventing Anna (Netflix Tudum (streaming platform’s official explainer)). Born in Russia and raised in Germany, Sorokin moved to New York City in 2013 and adopted the alias Anna Delvey, presenting herself as a wealthy German heiress with a trust fund. Her act was so convincing that she gained access to exclusive parties, luxury hotels, and private jets — all on the promise of money that never materialized.

What is her background?

Sorokin’s family moved to Germany when she was a teenager. She attended school in the small town of Eschweiler but dropped out at 16. After a brief stint at a fashion college in London, she returned to Germany and later moved to Paris for an internship at Purple magazine. It was there she began planting the seeds of her heiress persona, according to CNN (news outlet).

The implication: Sorokin’s background reveals a keen social observer who studied how wealth signals work — then weaponized them.

What happened to Anna Delvey?

What did Anna Delvey do?

From 2013 to 2017, Sorokin ran a sophisticated scheme. She created fake bank statements showing a €60 million balance in a Swiss account, used those documents to apply for loans, and convinced friends and businesses to cover expenses with promises of repayment. Among her victims: Rachel DeLoache Williams, a former Vanity Fair photo editor, who was left with a $62,000 bill after a trip to Morocco (People (entertainment magazine)). The total value of services stolen exceeded $200,000, as reported by CNN.

How long did Anna go to jail for?

Sorokin was arrested in October 2017 after a sting operation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office (Artful Living (lifestyle magazine)). She was convicted in May 2019 of grand larceny, attempted grand larceny, and theft of services, and sentenced to 4 to 12 years in state prison. She served nearly four years before being released on parole in February 2021.

What is Anna Delvey doing today?

As of mid-2024, Sorokin remains under house arrest in her East Village apartment in New York City, wearing an electronic ankle monitor (Town & Country (lifestyle magazine)). Her conditions have been gradually relaxed: in August 2024 she was allowed back on social media, and in September 2024 the court permitted travel within 70 miles of her home for work (BBC News). Yet her biggest fight is still pending: deportation to Germany.

The pattern: Sorokin went from a high-security prison to a restricted apartment — she swapped handcuffs for an ankle monitor but still can’t choose her own zip code.

How true is the Anna Delvey story?

What parts of Inventing Anna are fictional?

The Netflix series Inventing Anna, which premiered in February 2022, takes creative liberties. While the core events are based on fact — the fake bank statements, the hotel scams, the arrest — many character names are changed, timelines are compressed, and the journalist character (Vivian Kent) is a composite. The show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes, called it a story “about a millennial woman who can’t stop lying and the journalist who can’t stop writing about her” (Netflix Tudum). Sorokin herself has criticized the series for inaccuracies, saying it made her “look like a cartoon villain” in an interview with Fox News (news network).

What did Anna Delvey say about the Netflix series?

In a 2022 interview from jail before the series aired, Sorokin told Artful Living magazine that the show “is not accurate at all.” She alleged that producers exaggerated the emotional manipulation and omitted her side of the story. Still, she sold the rights to her life story to Netflix for a reported $320,000 (CNN).

The catch: Sorokin sold her story to the very machine she says distorted it — proving that for her, even truth is a negotiable asset.

How does Anna Delvey make money?

Did Anna Delvey actually have wealth?

No. Investigators found no evidence of significant personal assets. The fake bank statements she used were for an account that never held the claimed €60 million (CNN). Her scams were entirely about the illusion of wealth — she never actually transferred money from a Swiss account.

How does Anna Delvey earn money now?

Since her release, Sorokin has monetized her notoriety. She sold her life rights to Netflix, reportedly for $320,000, which was used to pay restitution and legal fees (BBC News). She also maintains an active Instagram account with over 1 million followers, where she posts about fashion and her daily life under house arrest. In 2023, she launched a limited-edition NFT collection called “Reinventing Anna” (Town & Country). Her exact current net worth is unclear, but she is likely not wealthy.

The trade-off: Sorokin turned her infamy into a media brand — but the same fame that funds her legal defense also feeds the deportation case against her.

What did Anna Delvey do to her face?

Did Anna Delvey have plastic surgery?

Yes. In interviews, Sorokin admitted to getting a rhinoplasty (nose job) and using Botox. She described these as “normal” enhancements during her time as a socialite. However, she denied extensive reconstructive work, despite persistent online speculation about other procedures (Fox News (news network)). The discussion of her appearance has been a recurring tabloid topic since her arrest, partly because her mugshot looked noticeably different from the polished photos she posted on Instagram.

The implication: Sorokin’s physical transformation mirrors the bigger illusion — a carefully managed public image that doesn’t match the legal reality.

Timeline

• 1991 – Born in Domodedovo, Russia
• 2007 – Family moves to Germany
• 2013 – Moves to New York City, adopts alias Anna Delvey
• 2013–2017 – Poses as heiress, scams hotels, banks, and individuals
• 2017 – Arrested after failing to pay bills at a Los Angeles hotel (Artful Living (lifestyle magazine))
• May 2019 – Convicted of grand larceny, theft of services (CNN)
• June 2019 – Sentenced to 4–12 years in state prison
• February 2021 – Released on parole, placed under house arrest
• March 2021 – ICE takes her into custody for visa overstay (BBC News)
• October 2022 – Released on $10,000 bond, home confinement (Town & Country)
• 2022 – Netflix series Inventing Anna premieres
• August 2024 – Allowed back on social media
• September 2024 – House arrest terms relaxed for work and limited travel

Clarity

Voices from the story

“I’m not a con artist. I’m an entrepreneur who had a vision.”

— Anna Delvey, in an interview with Fox News (news network) (2022)

“She lied to me about everything. She was my friend and she stole $62,000 from me.”

— Rachel DeLoache Williams, former friend and victim, quoted by People (entertainment magazine)

“This was not a victimless crime. She manipulated people who trusted her for her own financial gain.”

— Prosecutor at Sorokin’s trial, as reported by CNN

The Anna Delvey saga is far from over. While Sorokin remains confined to an East Village apartment under an ankle monitor, her influence continues to ripple through pop culture and the justice system. For the New York elite who once welcomed her into their circles, the lesson is a stark one: a well-crafted story can override due diligence. For Sorokin, the next chapter depends on a court’s decision on deportation — and whether her fame can be turned into a legitimate life after house arrest.

For those curious about what happened after her trial, Anna Delveys dom och nuvarande situation provides a detailed update on her ongoing legal battles and life under house arrest.

Frequently asked questions