Matthew Lesko
Encyclopedia
Matthew Lesko is an American
author, self-proclaimed federal grant
researcher, and infomercial
personality. He has authored over 20 reference books telling people how to get "free" money from the United States government. He is popularly known as "that question mark
guy" for the Riddler-like suits that he wears in his television commercials, infomercial
s, interviews, and in his everyday life.
Lesko lives near Kensington, Maryland
, with his third wife Wendy Schaetzel Lesko
and their two sons, Max and Morgan. He grew up in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
. Lesko received his undergraduate degree from Marquette University
in Milwaukee, then went to Vietnam as a navigator for the U.S. Navy. When Lesko returned he earned a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from American University
in Washington D.C. He claims to have researched government grants for over 25 years.
Lesko is known for his colorful suits decorated with question marks. Mr. Lesko sometimes wears one of his "question mark suits" during his daily activities in and around Washington, D.C.
, and drives a vehicle with question marks on it: at various points he has driven a yellow Mini Cooper, an orange Scion, an orange smartCar, and a Vespa
scooter.
The New York Times criticized him for having implied a current association with the paper long after ending a 1992-94 NYT column.
In 2005, Lesko was named #99 in Bernard Goldberg
's book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America
because "He is a symbol for self-centered free-riders."
In an interview with the Washington Post in July 2007, Lesko admitted having assembled his books from government guides to grants and loans: "His business model is simple: 'I get stuff for free and I sell it for as much as I can get.'"
All of his books claim to contain information about how to get free money from the United States government.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author, self-proclaimed federal grant
Federal grant
In the United States, federal grants are economic aid issued by the United States government out of the general federal revenue. A federal grant is an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of...
researcher, and infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
personality. He has authored over 20 reference books telling people how to get "free" money from the United States government. He is popularly known as "that question mark
Question mark
The question mark , is a punctuation mark that replaces the full stop at the end of an interrogative sentence in English and many other languages. The question mark is not used for indirect questions...
guy" for the Riddler-like suits that he wears in his television commercials, infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
s, interviews, and in his everyday life.
Lesko lives near Kensington, Maryland
Kensington, Maryland
Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 zip code and its population is an order of magnitude larger than that of the town at its center....
, with his third wife Wendy Schaetzel Lesko
Wendy Schaetzel Lesko
Wendy Schaetzel Lesko is the executive director of the Youth Activism Project. Lesko is an author of several books on youth-led advocacy, especially in the public policy arena, and recognized nationally as a youth voice expert.-Biography:...
and their two sons, Max and Morgan. He grew up in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
. Lesko received his undergraduate degree from Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
in Milwaukee, then went to Vietnam as a navigator for the U.S. Navy. When Lesko returned he earned a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington D.C. He claims to have researched government grants for over 25 years.
Lesko is known for his colorful suits decorated with question marks. Mr. Lesko sometimes wears one of his "question mark suits" during his daily activities in and around Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and drives a vehicle with question marks on it: at various points he has driven a yellow Mini Cooper, an orange Scion, an orange smartCar, and a Vespa
Vespa
Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name means wasp in Italian.The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A...
scooter.
Criticism
Critics claim that Lesko is misleading in his advertisements. A 2004 report by the New York State Consumer Protection Board claimed that most of the grants mentioned in Lesko's books were actually public assistance programs that many people were not eligible for, and that Lesko misrepresented examples of people who had taken advantage of government programs.The New York Times criticized him for having implied a current association with the paper long after ending a 1992-94 NYT column.
In 2005, Lesko was named #99 in Bernard Goldberg
Bernard Goldberg
Bernard Richard Goldberg , also known as Bernie Goldberg, is an eleven-time Emmy Award-winning American writer, journalist, and political commentator...
's book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America
100 People Who Are Screwing Up America
100 People Who Are Screwing Up America is a non-fiction book by Bernard Goldberg that was published in 2005. The book's central idea is to name and blame a long list of specific individuals for making the United States a "far more selfish, vulgar, and cynical place."Goldberg's book denounces many...
because "He is a symbol for self-centered free-riders."
In an interview with the Washington Post in July 2007, Lesko admitted having assembled his books from government guides to grants and loans: "His business model is simple: 'I get stuff for free and I sell it for as much as I can get.'"
In popular culture
- In the season four episode of The Venture Bros.The Venture Bros.The Venture Bros. is an American animated television series that premiered on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on February 16, 2003. The series mixes action and comedy together while it chronicles the adventures of the Venture family: well-meaning but incompetent teenagers Hank and Dean Venture; their...
titled "The Better Man", Jefferson Twilight trains with cardboard cut-outs of various villains. When one of the cut-outs turns out to be Matthew Lesko, Jefferson explains that he mistook Lesko for a villain "he was wearing punctuation on his suit", like that worn by the BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
villain The Riddler. The Alchemist contends that he "helps people get free money from the government" and therefore is a good guy. - In Season 6, Episode 11 of the television show Scrubs, Dr. Cox refers to Lesko in a rant: "Pregnant women are among a select group of people who are actually allowed to act insane, much like sports mascots, local weathermen, theme park performers and that guy with the question mark jacket who teaches people how to get free money from the government."
Books
Matthew Lesko's company, Information USA, has published several reference books including:- Information U.S. (1986, ISBN 0-14-046745-9)
- Getting Yours (1987, ISBN 0-14-046760-2)
- 1001 Free Goodies and Cheapies (1994, ISBN 1-878346-25-3)
- Free College Money, Term Papers, and Sex Ed (1994, ISBN 1-878346-24-5)
- Free Health Care, Free Medical Information and Free Prescription Drugs (1995, ISBN 1-878346-34-2)
- Gobs and Gobs of Free Stuff (1996, ISBN 1-878346-33-4)
- Free Legal Help (1996, ISBN 1-878346-35-0)
- Free Stuff for Busy Moms! (1999, ISBN 1-878346-49-0)
- Free College and Training Money For Women (2000, ISBN 1-878346-52-0)
- Free Money and Help for Women Entrepreneurs (2000, ISBN 1-878346-51-2)
- Free Money For Your Retirement (2000, ISBN 1-878346-60-1)
- Free Stuff for Women's Health, Fitness, and Nutrition (2000, ISBN 1-878346-50-4)
- Free Money To Change Your Life (2001, ISBN 1-878346-40-7)
- Free Money To Pay Your Bills (2003, ISBN 1-878346-65-2)
- Free Money To Get A Better Home (2004, ISBN 1-878346-67-9)
- Free Money To Quit Your Job (2004, ISBN 1-878346-68-7)
- Free Money for Entrepreneurs (2005, ISBN 1-878346-69-5)
- American Benefits for Seniors: Getting the Most Out of Your Retirement (2006, ISBN 1-878346-87-3)
All of his books claim to contain information about how to get free money from the United States government.
External links
- Better Business Bureau of Washington, D.C. Report 11/14/2007
- Matthew Lesko infomercials
- "Questions for Matthew Lesko, the Question Mark Man" - 9/29/05 Interview with Matthew Lesko
- "The Culler of Money" - 7/6/2005 Baltimore City Paper Interview and article
- "Free Money? Don't Think So" - Consumer Affairs report on Lesko
- Matthew Lesko on Tom Green Live