Gustave Eiffel, an eccentric French genius, embarked on an adventure that could have backfired on him. After betting that he would complete the monumental metal tower in time for the 1889 World’s Fair, he kept his word despite many obstacles. The opinion of Parisians, including prominent cultural figures, was divided, and for many the tower became a speck in the eye, or rather an ugly ‘highlight of the Exhibition’, as its opponents scornfully called it. Eiffel even had to spend his own money to complete the construction on time, and in just one year he recouped his expenses and at the same time immortalised himself in the eyes of the French and the world.