DONOR DRAMA: Stunning new data on the life cycle of a Scientology whale!
For years, we’ve been fascinated by the behavior of Scientology’s whales. These are the really big donors, the ones who give the church more than $1 million just in straight donations, above and beyond what they spend for courses, auditing, accommodations and the rest.
They’re a rare breed, and it’s even more rare to get some insight into the life cycle of a whale. But this week, what a treat we have in that regard.
For many years, Jim Speiser has been a prominent veterinarian in the Indianapolis area, and an enthusiastic Scientologist.
Scientology targets veterinarians, along with chiropractors and dentists, with their sneaky business consulting front groups such as Sterling Management and many others. These groups sell the idea that L. Ron Hubbard invented the most effective business methods of all time. (Up front, however, they don’t usually mention that Hubbard said he had taken those business organization ideas from an “old galactic civilization” that had used them for “80 trillion years.”) If the vet or dentist or chiro will just take on Hubbard’s business policies, it will take care of staffing headaches, and allow them to spend time on actually treating patients, or whatever.
The catch is that along with using Hubbard’s business methods, there will then be considerable pressure on the chiro or vet to start taking Scientology courses, and then to put even more pressure on the staff to knuckle under as well.
Over the years, this has resulted in numerous EEOC actions and lawsuits as workers sometimes object to being forced into Scientology as a part of their employment in a veterinary clinic or dentist’s office.
We don’t know if Jim ever asked his employees to go to Clearwater with him for Scientology seminars, but he has been a very dedicated church member over many years.
Records indicate that he’s reached numerous milestones: The L Rundowns (early 1990s), Clear (2003), OT 3 (2003), OT 7 (2008) and Super Power in 2015.
In 2018, Jim was featured in one of the early Meet a Scientologist videos at the new Scientology TV channel (see above), and there was a corresponding piece in Freedom Magazine. (Remember when Freedom was still publishing stuff?)
Today his practice in Indianapolis delivers 24-hour critical care, seven days per week in addition to the more basic veterinary services. He employs specialists in surgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology and other specialties, making it the premiere veterinary hospital in the state of Indiana. General practitioners in the area use his facility for their own patients that need a CAT scan, an MRI or lengthy rehabilitation.
Jim made his first appearance here at the Underground Bunker in January 2021, when he was featured for completing his Class V auditor “interneship.” So at the same time he owned and ran a major vet hospital in Indianapolis, he was training to be a Scientology auditor at the Cincinnati Ideal Org (which is actually across the river in Florence, Kentucky).
We next noticed last June that he was stepping up with donations (“Vanguard” = $35,000) for a new Ideal Org in Battle Creek.
And then in November, Jim finally revealed his major whale status when he was listed as “Gold Meritorious With Honors,” which translates to $1.75 million, and only in regards to donations to the International Association of Scientologists (IAS), which is Scientology’s membership organization. This does not count the money he had given for new buildings.
Thar she blows!
There would then be pressure on Jim to keep forking over donations so that he could reach the next status level, Platinum Meritorious, at $2.5 million.
But what’s this? In October, Jim’s hospital announced that he was retiring. And Indiana business records indicate that the hospital had undergone a change in ownership structure the year before.
So what’s a whale going to do in retirement? Hivemind, what is your experience? Are retired whales under just as much pressure to keep forking over more and more cash?
We have very little data on this.
But then, new information arrived.
Will you get a load of this!
Jim joined the Cincinnati Ideal Org as a staffer!
That means he signed a 2.5- or 5-year contract, and will be working for peanuts, if he’s paid at all. We assume he’s been hired on as an auditor, which he was training for.
Wow. This guy could be spending his retirement traveling or hanging out with his kids or whatever.
Instead he’s going to be an E-meter jockey in a hapless “Ideal Org” in Kentucky.
We’re not even sure what to think.
Community, please help us out here.
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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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Next phase of Jim’s life is all downhill.
I’m thinking that his kids will be free from the pressure to prove themselves in spite of inheriting massive amounts of money from wealthy parents. Instead, they will start from scratch with little but the shirts on their backs. All very character building. And good for the main “stat” of the criminal organisation known as the “church” of $cientology: funds in off-shore accounts.
My question is whether the hospital company was a “WISE” member and as such paid 10% off the top to the Co$. And, if so, whether they consider that a sensible expense.