We have presented two facile four-step syntheses of (±)-tanikolide from ethyl 2-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate. The overall chemical yields of the two sequences reached as high as 76 and 85%, respectively. The first strategy involved alkylation, Baeyer–Villiger reaction, saponification, and reduction/lactonization. The second approach for synthesizing tanikolide took advantage of the same intermediate