| David Copperfield (illusionist) |
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BIOGRAPHY David Copperfield was born in Metuchen , New Jersey , to Jewish immigrants from Russia . He began performing magic professionally at the age of 12, and became the youngest person ever admitted to the Society Of American Magicians . By age 16, he was teaching a course in magic at New York University . At age 18, he enrolled at Fordham University , but was cast in the lead role of the Chicago-based musical ''The Magic Man'' three weeks into his freshman year. At age 19, he was headlining at the ''Pagoda Hotel'' in Honolulu, Hawaii . In 1982, David Copperfield founded Project Magic , a rehabilitation program to help disabled patients regain lost or damaged dexterity skills. The program has been accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association , and is in use in over 1,000 Hospital s worldwide. Copperfield has also attempted to preserve the history of the art of magic for present and future generations by providing a safe, permanent home for antiquarian props, books, and other historical ephemera related to conjuring. His vast collection, known as the International Museum And Library Of The Conjuring Arts , is housed in Las Vegas, Nevada . '' Forbes Magazine '' reported that Copperfield earned $57 million dollars in 2003, making him the tenth highest paid Celebrity in the world. It also estimated that he made $57 million from June 2004 to June 2005 in merchandise and tour revenue. He was allegedly engaged to the Supermodel Claudia Schiffer . The couple parted ways in 1999, after a six year relationship. There was immense speculation that Schiffer was actually a contractor working for Copperfield, not his girlfriend. The popular German tabloid '' Bild '' published a fax from Copperfield's management to Schiffer, informing her of Copperfield's itinerary, where she should appear with Copperfield, and her fees. Copperfield labeled the fax a forgery. Schiffer's own father publicly stated that Copperfield never had sexual relations with his daughter. Copperfield's retort was that since Mr. Schiffer was never in their bedroom, he couldn't know. In April, 2006, Copperfield was accosted at gunpoint with two of his female assistants after a performance in West Palm Beach, Florida . His assistants gave the robbers their money, passports, and a cell phone. However, according to his police statement, Copperfield didn't hand over anything. One of Copperfield's assistants wrote down most of the license plate number, and suspects were later arrested. {Link without Title} His name is taken from the 1850 Charles Dickens Novel . SEE ALSO Vanishing The Statue Of Liberty REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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