The Art Forger Who Became a National Hero

A fictionalised account not entirely dissimilar to this kind of story is buried in "What's bred in the bone" (1985) by the Canadian author Robertson Davies. It's not a direct lift, but you'd see the resonances.

He (Han van Meegeren) was also the subject of a 'Cautionary Tales' episode [0] which I would recommend

[0] https://timharford.com/2021/03/the-art-forger-the-nazi-and-t... (sorry I couldn't find a transcript on that page, I'm sure there's one somewhere)

From bug bounty hunter to celebrated 'fixer' – the ultimate career pivot. Kinda makes you appreciate the hustle.

Respect the technical skill, even if the ethics are questionable. Reminds me of finding an elegant hack in a deeply flawed system.

Reminds me of how some of the best security researchers started out on the 'other' side. Talent finds its way to usefulness, sometimes.