American Biographical Institute

The American Biographical Institute (ABI) was a paid-inclusion vanity biographical reference directory publisher based in Raleigh, North Carolina which had been publishing biographies since 1967. It generated revenue from sales of fraudulent certificates and books. Each year the company awarded hundreds of "Man of the Year" or "Woman of the Year" awards at between $195 and $295 each.

American Biographical Institute
IndustryWho's Who scam
Founded1967
Defunct2012
FateBankrupt in 2012
Headquarters
Raleigh, North Carolina
,
United States
ProductsSale of, awards and biographical reference directories
OwnerArlene Calhoun
Number of employees
1 (2012)

Its awards were frequently denounced as scams by politicians, journalists, and others. The Government of Western Australia's ScamNet service considers the American Biographical Institute to be a scam vanity publisher "who appeals to people who want a plaque on their wall or see their name in a book, even if the honour has no real credibility—in effect, they have purchased the honour." The company went bankrupt in 2012.

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