Cash call! The wealthy donors keeping Scientology above water in 2024
What’s this, a new issue of Impact magazine is out? You know what means, sailors, it’s time for some whale watching!
In December, Scientology’s Impact magazine identified the big donors (we call them “whales”) who were feted and received trophies at the IAS Patron’s Ball at Saint Hill in England in November. These were the really big leviathans like Trish Duggan, who has given something nearing half a billion in donations.
Now, a new issue of the magazine is out and it’s celebrating the opening of the Paris Ideal Org in April. And as long as there’s a new issue, they have included a new list of donors and their new statuses. This set of people who were pictured are not the biggest of Scientology’s donors. But we’ll take the update! We always like to see who is forking over the big bucks.
As always, it’s really important to keep in mind that these are cumulative amounts given just to one Scientology initiative, the International Association of Scientologists, the church’s membership organization (and leader David Miscavige’s legal slush fund). Someone credited for giving $1 million, for example, may have given only a few thousand in recent months that enabled them to get past that plateau. (For an explanation of how we know what amounts the statuses represent or the estimates we’ve made for some of them, see our methodology here.)
OK, here we go, starting with only the donors who were pictured. A more complete list follows.
Silver Meritorious, $500,000
Gary Pariani, Texas
Shawn & Erica Windle, Colorado
“We’re committed to each other and to Scientology, and feel this was our way of saying: We’re here. We’re getting the show on the road, and it’s time to protect our religion and save this planet in short order!”
Shun Min Wang & Yu Mei Lu, Taiwan
The Field, Garside, Pownall Family, United Kingdom
“We as a family support the IAS because it is the broadest-reaching Fourth Dynamic action that we can be part of. There is literally NOTHING else that we could support and work on that would cause more of a ripple effect than the IAS Salvage Campaigns.”
Larry & Joan Nieman, Kansas
“Now is an important time for Mankind. There is no greater legacy than freedom and being able to have lived by the Code of Honor.”
The Koji Naka & Atsuko Wakita Family, Japan
Silver Meritorious With Honors, $750,000
Omer & Shlomit Azmon, California
Debora Brown, Minnesota
“I continue to support the IAS because I see the changes we ware making in the world. I love to hear the success stories of people’s lives that have been changed because of the programs the IAS funds. Scientology saves lives.”
Jean-Claude, Catherine & Mathieu Douthe, France
“We aspire to a new ethical and prosperous civilization that can benefit everyone. Ron showed us the way. We believe that keeping this route practicable and providing access to as many people as possible are directly linked to supporting the IAS.”
Brian & April Pool and Family, Nevada
Giovanni Rusconi & Patrizia Brambilla, Italy
Paul & Diane Stein, Florida
Gold Meritorious, $1 million
Dee & Don Pearson, California
Bob & Sue McCarty, Colorado
“We are the IAS. It’s a team. It’s a group. We’re the ones pushing this movement forward to save this planet and the people on it. We are just really proud of being members of this group and supporting it.”
The Nagengast Family, Florida
“The IAS guarantees the future of our family, Mankind and the Scientology religion. We are proud and privileged to be part of the only movement on this planet which provides true and lasting help and hope to others.”
Michael Ball, California
Tom & Nancy Reitze and Family, Florida
Francois & Eliane Chauchet, Angers, France
“The current planetary scene increased our necessity level. It makes us proud to have contributed to the current IAS projects. They are more necessary than ever.”
Diamond Meritorious, $5 million
James Burden, Virginia
“The inroads we have made with our different campaigns, and all of the dissemination and strategic Ideal Orgs we have helped put there, make it possible to reach more and more people with the Tech. I want as many people to find Scientology as possible. And I am proud of seeing the changes, seeing how far we have come and knowing that my help is contributing to making this happen.”
Liz & Dave Rolfe, California
“A significant donation to the IAS, whatever that may be for any of us, is perhaps the only way to fully disagree with the MEST universe and it thus brings amazing case gain and theta. This is the era of Scientology. It is our time. It is the most exciting time on our whole track — and we are winning.”
[Yes, those Rolfes, the ones we profiled just this past April!]
Hip, hip, hooray!
OK, and now here is the more complete list of donors that was included in the magazine, without photos. Here are some of the truly prodigious whales that we keep an eye on. Which names do you recognize?
Platinum Excalibur. $22 million
The Hechtman Family
Patron Excalibur, $20 million
The Holyfield Family
Platinum Laureate, $12 million
Kurt & Jenny Listug
Patron Laureate With Honors, $11 million
Norm & Terri Novitsky and Family
Patron Laureate, $10 million
The Mike & Chiara Staples Family
Diamond Meritorious. $5 million
Vincent Ramelli & Family
Dave & Elizabeth Rolfe
Platinum Meritorious With Honors. $3.75 million
The Weber Family
Platinum Meritorious, $2.5 million
Ruddy Rodriguez & Rami Fuermann
The Roder Family
Seseg Shabakova & Family
Rika Tanaka & Mikio Shimizu
Gold Meritorious With Honors, $1.75 million
Derek Hitchman & Family
Florian & Abigail Laplantif
The Ruaraidh & Sarah MacLeod Family
The Naugler Family
Gold Meritorious, $1 million
John & Karen Atkinson
Michael S. Ball
Ryan & Lissa Dale and Family
Hans Kellerer
The Nagangast Family
Peter Roelens & Sabine Osaer
Elisa & Will Southard
Janet Weiss
Silver Meritorious With Honors, $750,000
Omer & Shlomit Azmon
The Ben Jacob Family
Lisa Benest
Eli & Fredlyn Berger
Charles & Romina Bovolini-Law
Dave & Kathy Carothers
The Kim & Thomas Carroll Family
Rob & Ingrid Collewijn and Family
The Cortiana & Sberze Family
Liz & Mike Dawson
Pierre & Alison Denis
Jean-Claude, Catherine & Mathiew Douthe
The Gysel Family
Mike Haidera
The Evan & Lisa Malm Family
The Rosa & Slongo Family
The Rusconi Family
Mirit & Danie Sadeh and Kara Kelly
Paul, Diane & Rachel Stein
Diana, Jana & Klaus Uckelmann
Silver Meritorious, $500,000
Bradley & Ashley Bachand and Family
The Balmelli Family
Timothy & Peggy Biedinger
David & Sherry Brier
The Burkhardt Family
Jigar Gandhi & Karol Molina
Kelli Martin
The Koji Naka & Atsuko Wakita Family
Larry & Joan Nieman
The Pool Family
Mary Jo Sterzenback
Bernhard Tschupp
Cristina Valas
Shun Min Wang & Yu Mei Lu
The Webb Family
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Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history
Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea
Overheard in the Freezone: Indie Hubbardism, one thought at a time
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Group Therapy: Our round table of rowdy regulars on the week’s news
All hail the IAS and all the good work it does. What 'work' does the IAS actually do? It hires Private Investigators to harass exs and anyone who disrespects the Clampire. How many cats and dogs have been offed to further that aim? There is so much actual, social good that could have resulted from that money, but no, let's kill some pets and sift through some trash.
I recognize the names two of the big donors Kurt Listug(CEO of Taylor Guitars). I sold my Taylor once I left Scientology. And Norm Novitsky. I knew him from his failed film producer days. The hubris was tangible in those whales when I knew them. Most likely now it is stronger than ever. One thing that is noticeable even with the low resolution photos is the vacant and/or crazy look in the whales eyes.
Genuine dedicated brainwashed minions. Such wasted lives.