Joshua Abraham Norton was a bankrupt businessman in San Francisco who completely lost his mind and publicly declared himself Emperor of the United States in 1859.

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Joshua Abraham Norton was a bankrupt businessman in San Francisco who completely lost his mind and publicly declared himself Emperor of the United States in 1859. Instead of locking him up in an asylum, the citizens of San Francisco actually leaned into the delusion, allowing him to issue his own currency which local businesses accepted, and giving him free meals at the finest restaurants in the city. He famously decreed that the US Congress be dissolved, ordered a bridge to be built connecting San Francisco to Oakland, and commanded absolute respect from local police officers who would salute him on the street. When he died in 1880, tens of thousands of people attended his funeral, proving that unabashed confidence and a cool outfit can literally override reality. It is a beautiful reminder that if you are going to be completely delusional, you should do it with enough flair that the general public decides to just play along with your magnificent madness