'Three Cups of Tea' author Greg Mortenson is allegedly a 'liar'

Former mountain climber and author Greg Mortenson is coming under fire for some allegedly less-than-truthful stories in his best-selling memoir.


"Three Cups of Tea" has sold over four million copies and is required reading for Afghanistan bound U.S. military, but according to "60 Minutes," the fascinating tales from the book may not be true.

"It's a beautiful story, and it's a lie," says "Into the Wild" author Jon Krakauer.

In an interview with the CBS magazine program, Krakauer pokes holes in Mortenson's stories. Among them, his claims of stumbling upon the village of Korphe and being nursed back to health by locals.

Others are joining in to debunk claims made in the book, including Mansur Khan Mahsud who is portrayed as a Taliban kidnapper. According to Mahsud, the stories are "totally false, and he is lying. He was not kidnapped."

Mortenson's non-profit organization, the Central Asia Institute, has also been called into question regarding the use of its monetary influx after complaints by board members, former donors and more. Krakauer is among the former donors, as is President Obama, contributing to a reported $23 million in earnings last year.

American Institute of Philanthropy president Daniel Borochoff has examined the spending of the CAI, claiming the financial statements show a lack of transparency in addition to mixing Mortenson's personal business with that of the charity.

"What's surprising is that most of the program spending is not to help kids in Pakistan and Afghanistan, it's actually... what they call domestic outreach where he goes around the country speaking and the cost incurred for that, things like travel is a major component of that. You know, just advertising," he explains. "Sounds like a book tour to me."

The purpose of the CAI is to promote education in remote parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to the web site, it has established more than 140 schools there.

Mortenson is sticking by his book and his charity, claiming that recent attacks are "unjustified."

You can read more on the investigation, including Mortenson's statement on the CBS News website.