American Experience -Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History

Muhammad Ali and children playing Monopoly at home.

Credit: Courtesy of Steve Schapiro/Corbis via Getty Images

Discover the fascinating and unexpected history behind Monopoly, America’s favorite board game.

For generations, Monopoly has been America’s favorite board game, a love letter to unbridled capitalism and — for better or worse — the impulses that make our free-market society tick. But behind the myth of the game’s creation is an untold tale of theft, obsession and corporate double-dealing. Part detective story, part sharp social commentary and part pop-culture celebration, Ruthless: Monopoly’s Secret History presents the fascinating true story of the game and those who created it. It premieres Monday, February 20 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.