Shadowing Practice: I Robbed a Billionaire & They Still Worship ME! - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Hi, I'm Anna Sorokin, aka Anna Delvey.

Con artist?

Maybe.

Opportunist?

Definitely.

Icon?

Obviously.

Anyway, I grew up in a drab, working-class Russian town where I fantasized about a completely different, much more glamorous existence.

I refused to turn out like my boring, generic parents.

Nope, I was going to pursue fame and fortune, no matter the cost.

In high school, I got pretty good at designing my own clothes.

And honestly, people noticed.

Compliments were flying left and right.

But then, when I was 16, my parents decided to move us to Germany.

I thought my new classmates would totally vibe with my unique style, but nope.

They roasted me for being different.

What?

You didn't get enough attention in Russia?

I couldn't even understand what they were saying.

I was still learning German, but the pointing and snickering I heard loud and clear.

Can you free me the ketchup, please?

Sure.

What the heck?

You said free the ketchup!

Just then, I grabbed my harmonica bottle, taking a sip before casually playing a tune on the cap's built-in harmonica.

I wasn't even thinking about it, just something I did.

But suddenly, all eyes were on me.

Wait, what was that?

What was what?

The bottle!

You played it like a harmonica!

Oh, yeah.

It's a water bottle and a harmonica, obviously.

That's insane!

I need one.

By the next week, I had ordered a few bottles for them from Amazon.

They acted all grateful.

For a while, I thought, maybe this is it.

Maybe they'll start being nice to me.

Then, a few days later... So, uh...

There aren't any left from the ones you gave us?

Can I have yours?

It's for my sister.

I hesitated, but handed it over, thinking this has to be a turning point.

Spoiler alert.

It wasn't.

They stayed mean.

By the way, grab your harmonica bottle from the link in the description, guys.

I was holding back tears.

No way could I let them see me cry.

They'd tear me apart.

So I bolted to the bathroom and let it all out.

But as I sat there, staring at the same ugly black loafers peeking out from the stalls, it hit me.

They're the ones who have it all wrong.

Just small town sheep with zero taste.

Me?

I had the big dreams.

They didn't hate me.

They were just jealous.

When I was 18, I was accepted into the prestigious Central St. Martin's Art School in London.

But my first class was boring.

The professor had no charisma, no sense of style, and his voice sounded like listening to paint dry.

I can't take it.

How do you expect anyone to learn anything when you're more dull than the subject matter?

Everyone stopped and stared at me dumbfounded.

I didn't belong here either.

Russia was too drab, London too stuffy.

It was time to go to a place where people weren't afraid to stand out from the crowd.

Berlin.

I got an internship at a PR company where I learned that Everything in this world is built on image, money, power, and success.

Darling, are you wearing polyester?

To a client dinner with a fashion company!

I cannot have your poor taste reflecting poorly on me.

Where do you shop?

I, uh, I make my own clothes, actually.

It's cheaper.

Hmm, interesting.

Very interesting.

I could tell my boss totally lost respect for me after that.

No one takes a poor person seriously.

Ugh, I quit the internship before I could get fired.

I was ready to fake it till I made it.

It was time to inhabit the successful fashionista I would one day become.

I moved to Paris with $20 in my pocket to pursue an internship with Purple Magazine.

My great-aunt was the first woman in our family to wear a tube top in Russia.

She was so counter-culture.

Let me bring that love of the bold to your magazine.

You won't regret it.

It worked.

I was hired on the spot, but Paris was expensive for a 20-year-old,

and $400 a month wasn't enough to fake being glamorous.

So I asked for a job, and didn't get it.

I begged my parents for money to help me finish my internship, but let's just say I spent it on trying to make a name for myself.

Dinners at Paris' finest restaurants, nights out mingling with the rich and beautiful at the most exclusive clubs.

But soon, I ran out of money.

You owe me two months' rent, dada.

I had no way of keeping up rent, so I decided to flee the country and move to America.

48 hours later, I arrived in New York City and checked into the chicest hotel in Manhattan.

I used my Purple Magazine ID badge to gain access to an exclusive event at New York Fashion Week.

100

And with my blazing blue power suit, I arrived on the red carpet, confidently posing for pics.

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People seemed to believe I was someone, because suddenly, click-click-click, Photos were being snapped of me left and right.

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The taller I stood, the more interested people were to know me.

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A woman a little older, maybe 23, with perfect hair, started chatting me up.

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Oh my gosh, I love your blazer.

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Where did you get it?

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Custom made by moi.

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Oh, I think I detected an accent.

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Where are you from if you don't mind me?

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Oh no, no, no, not at all.

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I'm from Germany.

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Berlin.

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Oh no way!

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I have friends in Berlin.

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What's your last name?

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Uh, Delvey.

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Okay, I lied.

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But I was trying to reinvent myself.

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I didn't want to be seen as the poor, working-class girl from Russia.

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Your badge says Sorkin and I don't see you on the list.

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Can I see ID?

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Ugh, sorry.

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I'm going through a divorce and I keep forgetting it's not finalized.

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ID.

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If I showed my ID, the woman would know I wasn't on the list and Rachel would know I wasn't from Germany.

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So I rifled through my purse, pretending to look for my wallet.

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Oh my gosh, I think I left it at home.

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I can't go back there.

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He's there.

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I can't see him.

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I'm sorry, it's been...

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And then I started weeping, a skill I practiced back in Russia.

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Oh my gosh, honey, don't cry.

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Your makeup is going to smudge.

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Rachel must have actually believed me because soon she was lying to the check-in woman.

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She's with me, it's okay.

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My guest canceled.

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Please, she's clearly going through a lot the check-in woman looked at me pitifully and then stoically nodded, letting me through.

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Oh my god, thank you.

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Thank you. Of course.

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I know how hard divorces can be.

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You've been through one?

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I feel like I have.

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I just watched Eat, Pray, Love, and what Julia Roberts goes through in that movie, I can't imagine.

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Rachel was perfect.

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She was bubbly, energetic, and was a photo editor for Vanity Fair.

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She knew everyone who mattered in Manhattan.

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Her best trait, though, was believing everything I told her, including that I was a German heiress who was looking to launch the Anna Delvey Organization,

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a private art foundation where all the best creators

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and entrepreneurs in New York could feature their work and foster a like-minded community of tastemakers.

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Rachel loved it.

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Oh my gosh, I love it!

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Well, I could use some help.

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I'm looking for investors.

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I can introduce you to some people.

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You deserve something good after what you've been through.

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She was right.

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I did deserve something good.

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And the more the idea of my organization looked like it could become a reality, the more obsessed I became with making it happen.

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I opened five new credit cards and followed Rachel's lead.

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She showed me where to eat, where to party, and where to be seen.

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And through her, I met the upper crust of young, successful New Yorkers.

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DJs, chefs, architects, artists.

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But finding investors was taking longer than expected.

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Within weeks, my credit cards were almost maxed out.

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I needed to go big or go home.

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Literally.

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So, I hosted a swanky party in the Hamptons and invited the wealthiest people I knew.

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But on the day of the party, there was a slight hiccup.

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What do you mean your credit card isn't working?

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My ex-husband must have accidentally cancelled it or something.

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Ugh, now the venue is saying they won't let us have the party.

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One second, I took out my phone and pretended to be on hold with my credit card company.

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Hello?

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Yes, I'm here.

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What do you mean I have to wait five to seven days to use it?

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My party is today.

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It's in 10 minutes, actually.

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Anna, Anna, it's okay.

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I can cover it for now.

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You're good for it, right?

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Oh my gosh, of course.

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Thank you.

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And I was planning on paying her back, but rich people are very protective of their money, and I couldn't find investors.

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I tried securing a loan, but the bank wouldn't give me money unless they saw I already had some.

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The system was so rigged.

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So I forged some bank documents, saying I had a great deal of funds in a Swiss bank, and managed to get a nice little loan of $22 million,

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just as long as I paid the legal fees up front.

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Let's just say I had to figure out how to get $10,000 overnight.

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If you lend me this money, I promise I'll pay you back as soon as possible.

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Just email my financial advisor if you don't trust me.

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They did email him.

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Luckily, it was me who created the email address of this fake advisor

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and sent a message back to them ensuring Anna was good for the money.

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And it worked.

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I secured my 22 million dollar loan, but I was hasty and made one fatal error.

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I accidentally told the bank I was born in Germany, even though my passport said Russia.

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I couldn't even keep up with my own lies.

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So the bank pulled my loan, and I was back at square one.

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Instead of bailing, I decided to go bigger to create a reputation no one could ignore.

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I checked into a fancy hotel in Soho, bought an entirely new wardrobe, changed my hairdo, and started seeing a personal trainer named Casey.

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I also befriended the concierge at her hotel.

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Neff.

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You know Neff.

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Me and you aren't that different.

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I once knew what it was like to be close to the wealthy, but unable to reach them.

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I thought you were an heiress.

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Oh, well, it's complicated.

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Hey, how about you come with me to that new five-star French restaurant on Park?

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My treat.

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I treated the staff members to spa days and fancy dinners, sparing no expense.

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But soon, I ran out of money.

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The hotel owner threatened to kick me out if I didn't pay up.

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I didn't know what to do.

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I needed time and space.

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So I booked a little vacation.

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With what money, you ask?

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Oh, just some fake checks in the amount of $80,000 that wouldn't bounce until after I went with Rachel and Casey to Morocco.

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But when we arrived at the hotel, my credit cards were declined.

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Anna, what is going on with your finances?

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You said you own a yacht and you can't even pay for a Caesar salad?

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It's just a glitch with the credit card company.

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I promise I'll pay you back.

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I have the cash back in New York.

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I'll give it to you first thing when we get there.

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And I meant it, truly.

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But when we returned to New York, I was shocked to find that my hotel key wasn't working.

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Neff?

228

What's happening?

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Why can't I get in here.

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You're getting kicked out.

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They said you owe them $30,000.

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I have the cash.

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I just need to go get it from the room.

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Your stuff isn't in there.

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They're keeping it and selling it.

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They gave you a lot of warnings, Anna.

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And why do you have $30,000 in cash?

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Who even are you?

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Who am I?

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After everything I did for you? So ungrateful.

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Luckily, this country loves to give away credit cards like handy.

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So I just got a brand new one and checked into the Beekman Hotel, continuing my business plan with a renewed desperation.

243

My strategy was this.

244

Get a loan from one bank and pay off the debt at the other bank.

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When the second bank realized I couldn't pay, I opened up a new account at a new bank and got a loan.

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It worked as long as I kept moving.

247

Unfortunately, that meant I couldn't stay at any one hotel long enough to make an impression on the money-hoarding elite.

248

By the end of 2017, I had lived in more than seven hotels on credit alone.

249

By my eighth hotel, my credit card was declined and I had to leave.

250

But when I tried to get a new credit card, I was denied.

251

Overnight, I was homeless, sleeping in my car on the side of a loud Manhattan street.

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Okay, I have friends.

253

It'll all be fine.

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I always figure it out.

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Anna, where have you been?

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Where is the money you owe me?

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Rachel, I'm sorry.

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My life has just been crazy.

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I'll tell you all about it at lunch.

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Just meet me tomorrow and I'll bring the money.

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Promise.

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You sound freezing.

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Are you okay?

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I thought about telling her the truth.

265

I really did, but I didn't want to hear it myself.

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Never better.

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At dinner, Rachel was staring daggers at me from across the table.

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I'll have the braised short rib.

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Thank you.

270

Who's paying for this?

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Don't worry about it.

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I've got it.

273

You don't look so good, Anna.

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Really?

275

Is it my bangs?

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No. Where is my money?

277

So, look, I'm still working on...

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Anna, do you have my money or do you not?

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Please, Rachel, I need a place to stay.

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I promise I will get you the money, but right Now I'm sleeping on the streets.

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I don't believe anything you say anymore.

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Wait!

283

If you try reaching out to me again, my lawyers will be the ones answering.

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I was speechless, and I totally lost my appetite.

285

With my head heavy, I walked to the bathroom.

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But as I was opening the door, a big, burly hand grabbed mine.

287

I looked up and saw the gruffest, nastiest-looking cop glaring down at me.

288

I need you to come with me.

289

The cop slapped his handcuffs on me, dragging me out of the restaurant.

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He shoved me into the back of his cop car.

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When I arrived at the police station, they tossed me in a cell like a criminal.

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Hey, you can't do this.

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I want my lawyer.

294

I get a phone call, don't I?

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You owe a lot of people a lot of money.

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I don't know what you're talking about.

297

Consider this a warning.

298

You're gonna spend the night for attempting to dine and dash.

299

What?

300

And if you don't pay your debts within 30 days, the FBI is coming for you.

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Four hotels are threatening to sue.

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Six restaurants, four clubs.

303

Should I go on?

304

I think I might have growled at him.

305

He slammed the metal bar doors.

306

At least I had a place to sleep for the night, I guess.

307

Ugh, this sucked.

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I had to admit it, I had failed.

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The next morning, I decided to cut my losses and leave New York City.

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But as I was taking the subway to the airport, an advertisement caught my eye.

311

For a fancy rehabilitation center in Los Angeles, like the place celebs would go to.

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I googled it, and it was totally that place.

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It was like a sign from above telling me what to do next.

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I needed to go to Malibu for rehab, so I booked a ticket with my credit card and arrived at the beautiful beach resort.

315

But a month later, the rehab said my credit cards weren't working and gave me the boot.

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You're just going to kick me to the streets?

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What kind of rehabilitation place is this?

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I didn't even meet any celebrities there, and none of the rich people would invest in my foundation.

319

The whole thing was a flop.

320

As I watched the waves crash into the shore, I felt empty.

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Maybe it was time to admit I'd never win this game.

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It was writ in favor of the rich, and I'd always be just poor.

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I was all alone with nothing.

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Tears started pouring out of me.

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And then I got a phone call.

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Rachel?

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Anna, I'm sorry I abandoned you and said such horrible things.

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I heard you're not in a very good place.

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Can we meet for lunch?

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I want to make it up to you.

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I was actually relieved to hear someone's familiar voice, but still livid, obviously.

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I don't know.

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You treated me very cruelly, but I guess one lunch couldn't hurt.

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Great.

335

Meet me at the five-star sushi spot you love.

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See you tomorrow night.

337

Wait, tomorrow night?

338

I was in Los Angeles, but I had no one else to turn to and nowhere else to go.

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And maybe this would be my chance to start over the right way.

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So I took a cab to the airport and bought a red eye to New York.

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On the plane, I made a list of all the ethical ways I would try to achieve my dream.

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Hey, maybe I had learned something in rehab.

343

I arrived the next morning, enthusiastic to start my new life.

344

And when I met Rachel for sushi, she actually appeared happy to see me.

345

I told Rachel about all the celebrities I'd met in rehab and all the new life lessons I'd learned.

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Wow, you were only there for a month, but sounds like it was really good for you.

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I'm so happy.

348

I just gotta run to the bathroom real quick.

349

Be right back.

350

Kay.

351

Honestly, it felt nice to have a friend again.

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Plus, she offered to cover the bill.

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She She was taking a while in the bathroom though.

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I got up to check on her, but a man was blocking my way.

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Wait, it wasn't just a man.

356

It was that horrible cop again.

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Um, excuse me?

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Ma'am, I'm gonna need you to come with me.

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Ma'am?

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You were under arrest for failing to pay over $150,000 in debt to credit card companies, hotels and your peers.

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You have committed a federal offense.

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Anything you do or say will be held- The officer slapped handcuffs on my wrist and kept reading me my rights.

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I was so caught off guard.

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On my way out, I saw Rachel emerge from the bathroom, smirking.

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Rachel, help me.

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Tell them they're wrong.

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Anna, I'm the one who called them.

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I did some digging, and I know you were never married.

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And I know you're not an heiress.

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And I don't know what else you've been lying about, but I know this for sure.

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You're a crook and a fraud.

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Traitor!

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The cops dragged me out of the restaurant in front of celebrity diners, fashion designers, models, all of the people I had spent years trying to impress.

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Everyone was staring.

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It was humiliating, and outside the restaurant, the scene was even more chaotic.

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Paparazzi were snapping photos left and right.

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Apparently, Rachel had gone to the press with a juicy story about a fake heiress.

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I was devastated until I came to a realization.

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People were taking my photos.

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They were looking at me.

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When I got to the police station, I saw my story being televised on primetime news.

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Anna Delvey, a self-proclaimed socialite and heiress from Germany, swindled her way through New York City.

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She is now standing trial for her crimes.

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Rachel didn't realize it, but she had finally gotten people to pay attention to me.

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I started bursting out laughing.

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I couldn't control myself.

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What are you laughing about?

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I did it.

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Are you confessing?

390

What?

391

No. I did something else.

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I got famous.

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Over the next few weeks, I sat in my prison cells, sketching ideas for all my fabulous trial outfits.

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I even got my attorney to arrange a wardrobe styling.

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I had the chicest outfits for every day I'd be sitting in that dreary courtroom.

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And if any of the other prisoners were rude to me, I wouldn't let them get away with it.

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Not anymore.

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One day, someone called me a fraud and spat in my food.

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I tackled her to the ground, and we got into a full-on slap fight.

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The guards pulled us apart and shoved me in solitary confinement.

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Thank God, I can finally focus on my sketches without all the noise.

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I had been getting more attention than ever before.

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I was all over social media, magazines, and TV.

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The fake heiress.

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The chic scam artist.

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The sly socialite.

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There was even an Instagram dedicated to my courtroom outfits.

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When a reporter asked if I felt guilty, I simply said, I'd be lying to you and everyone else and to myself if I said I was sorry for anything.

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I'm just a girl from a poor family who wanted the American dream.

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Some people get handed money when they're born, not me.

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Why should the rich get all the opportunities?

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I didn't hurt anyone.

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I just wanted more for myself.

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And I meant it.

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What was the point in lying?

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I had done that enough.

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I was tired of it.

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After two days of jury deliberation, the verdict was announced.

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I was on the edge of my seat.

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Anna Sorokin, aka Delvey, is charged with two attempts of grand larceny larceny in the second degree and theft of services,

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and sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison.

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4 to 12 years?!

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I thought only murderers got that kind of time.

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I guess I'd have to make it worth it.

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I spent my prison sentence keeping to myself and writing my biography about the fake heiress who went to prison.

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It was a compelling story after all, and Netflix agreed.

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While I was in jail, they paid me almost half a million dollars to consult on a television show about my life.

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Two years later, in 2022, I was released from prison.

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I had made enough money to rent a flat in Greenwich Village in New York City, and was able to serve the rest of my sentence there.

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I was neighbors with all the greatest creative minds of this century.

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Working on my art, getting the finest food delivered to my door, what else can a girl ask for?

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Oh, how about a gallery show and half a million dollars in sales for my artwork?

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And let's not forget my latest stint on Dancing with the Stars, though that didn't go over so well.

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After all I've been through, you're probably wondering, was it all worth it?

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Well, my criminal years are behind me.

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I'm a household name, and people are still writing stories about me.

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And paying me for it.

438

And also you, watching my story right now. So, yeah.

439

It wasn't the most conventional route, but I think I pulled it off.

440

Thank you.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 440 sentences and 3926 words to shadow. The speech runs for 20:14. The speaker talks fast, about 194 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 78% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
gosh	/ɡɑːʃ/	A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm.
rehab noun	/ˈɹiːhæb/	Rehabilitation, especially to treat the use of recreational drugs.
internship noun	/ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp/	A job taken by a student in order to learn a profession or trade.
fancy noun	/ˈfæn.si/	The imagination.
tear verb	/tɛɹ/	To rend (a solid material) by holding or restraining in two places and pulling apart, whether intentionally or not; to destroy or separate.
celebrity noun	/səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/	Fame, renown; the state of being famous or talked-about.
outfit noun	/ˈaʊtfɪt/	A set of clothing (with accessories).
slap noun	/slæp/	A blow, especially one given with the open hand, or with something broad and flat.
investor noun	/ɪnˈvɛs.tə(ɹ)/	A person who invests money in order to make a profit.
stare verb	/stɛɚ/	To look fixedly (at something).
horrible adjective	/ˈhɔɹ.ɪ.bəl/	Causing horror; terrible; shocking.
decline verb	/dɪˈklaɪn/	To move downwards, to fall, to drop.
fraud noun	/ˈfɹɔːd/	The crime of stealing or otherwise illegally obtaining money by use of deception tactics.
drag verb	/dɹæɡ/	To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.
nope	/noʊp/	No.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
go through verb	To travel from one end of something to the other.
burst out verb	To appear suddenly from within something else.
figure out verb	To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
get away with verb	To get away, or escape, taking (something) with one.
get up to verb	To do something, especially something that is forbidden or improper.
give away verb	To make a gift of (something).
go back verb	To return to a place or state after having been there at a previous time.
go over verb	To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	was accepted · is built · was hired
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	it's been · You've been · have you been
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	ones who have · everyone who mattered · one who called

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 110 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, didn't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: threaten /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/, wealthy /ˈwɛl.θi/, eighth /eɪtθ/, theft /θɛft/, ethical /ˈɛθɪkəl/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, internship /ˈɪntɜːnʃɪp/, rehabilitation /ˌɹiː.əˌbɪl.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən/, sushi /ˈsuːʃi/, reputation /ˌɹɛpjʊˈteɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: celebrity /səˈlɛb.ɹɪ.ɾi/, accidentally /ˌæk.sɪˈdɛnt(ə)li/, rehabilitation /ˌɹiː.əˌbɪl.ɪˈteɪ.ʃən/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, reputation /ˌɹɛpjʊˈteɪʃən/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like gosh, rehab, internship.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

Shadowing Practice: I Robbed a Billionaire & They Still Worship ME! - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?