History & Area Studies / Thematic History / Social & Cultural History

The Monopoly Lie: How a Woman's Anti-Capitalist Game Became a Billion-Dollar Scandal

The Monopolists

Mary Pilon

You think you know Monopoly? Think again. The story you've been told—about Charles Darrow inventing it during the Great Depression—is a complete fabrication. This video reveals the shocking truth: Monopoly was actually created by Lizzie Magie in 1903 as a protest against land monopoly, designed to teach players about the evils of capitalism. But Parker Brothers buried her story, bought her patent for a pittance, and spun a myth. Then, decades later, a professor named Ralph Anspach fought a decade-long legal battle to expose the scandal, proving that 'Monopoly' was a generic term and that the game's real inventor was a woman. Based on Mary Pilon's book 'The Monopolists,' this deep dive uncovers the obsession, fury, and corporate cover-up behind the world's most beloved board game. Get ready for a story that will change how you see every game of Monopoly you've ever played.