PAGANINI’S GENEROUS DEED,

Late in life, Niccolò Paganini became famous for two things: violin wizardry and extreme stinginess. Fans fought to get into his concerts, money poured in… and he still lived like he was broke. He ate too little to “save,” argued over medicine prices, and even refused to play charity concerts—which got him mocked in the streets.

His friends tried to fix his reputation with a clever PR move. The young composer Hector Berlioz was struggling, so the plan was: “Paganini will donate 20,000 francs.” Small problem: Paganini wouldn’t give up even 20 francs just to look generous.

So the friends collected the 20,000 themselves and asked Paganini for one thing only—permission to put his name on it. He agreed. Berlioz, thinking the gift came from a fellow musician who respected his talent, accepted it gratefully. And for years, biographies kept praising “Paganini’s” legendary act of generosity. (It was basically a group donation with a celebrity signature.)