"So... WHAT HAPPENED?"

If you want to know what happens next, order our DVD now!

IIRC from this guy's site, before it was a show, he had a stand-off with the bank for a while before learning that this check was holding up a merger between his bank and another company, so the whole executive suite was freaking out. Eventually he gave the check back with no repercussions and some token like a letter of apology.

Pretty hard to believe a check that size held up a bank merger.

he didn't apologize, the bank did. that was the whole point of him cashing $95k and holding it until the bank acknowledged that they screwed up.

sorry, should have clarified: I meant the bank was the one with the token apology, not the guy who deposited the check.

That's not fair. He makes it quite clear at the beginning that the whole story is free but that you will see requests for tips or to buy the DVD.

Remember that this story was written in 1995. Internet advertising was generally not available then, and neither was proper etiquette for advertising. I do not blame him for trying to partially monetize his thousands of hours of effort. After all, it's not like he kept the money.

You're talking about on his website, from 1995, in which yes he made it clear from the beginning, and he also offered the entire story through to the end for free.

We're talking about the article on FT.com (this actual submission) where there is nothing up front about it, and where, without finishing his story, he ends with the fact that he's telling the story live and how if you pay to see him you can find out the end of the story.