Aug. 7, 2001: The Deal revealed that Emil Bernard (pictured at right), a mystery bidder for US Airways, was in fact a hoax. Former staff reporter David Weidner trekked to the only known address for Bernard's Global Airways, which reportedly had been preparing an $8 billion offer for the airline. The address turned out to be a two-family home in Clifton, N.J. Shortly after The Deal's expose showing that Bernard clearly had no capital to finance the deal, the rest of the media ignored his subsequent press releases, and the SEC began an investigation into Bernard, who disappeared. However, the media never acknowledge The Deal's expose. —Matthew Wurtzel
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