It’s here! Scientology’s list of trophy-winning big donors from 2024’s Patrons Ball!
The Patrons Ball at this year’s IAS anniversary gala was held only six weeks ago, but Scientology has already put out our favorite of its publications, Impact magazine, and you know what that means…
Scientology whales and their trophies!
For our newer readers, this is what we’re going on about: All Scientologists are under intense pressure to donate huge sums for a variety of different projects and in a variety of different ways. But one of the most important ways to contribute is by donating to what started out as a defense fund for the church in 1984. The International Association of Scientologists (IAS) this year celebrated its 40th anniversary as it usually does, under a giant tent at Scientology’s UK headquarters in East Grinstead, England.
Exceptions to that rule occurred in 2013, when the IAS gala was held in Clearwater, Florida, and then the years 2020 to 2022 when no event was held because of the pandemic. Church leader David Miscavige brought back the tradition last year, and once again held it in England this past October 25-27.
On the second night of the three-day party, the Patrons Ball is held to celebrate donors who have, during the past year, reached a new cumulative goal in their total overall spending. This is called a “status,” and they have fancy names. Donate $500,000 overall to the IAS, for example, and you are given the fancy status “Silver Meritorious.” It’s like a game for rich people, who try to give enough to get to the next level. [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.]
After the event, photos of the donors with their new trophies are published by the church in Impact magazine, and we enjoy helping them get the word out. This is big news, people! And this year, Miscavige was so successful getting huge amounts out of so many donors, we’ve had to divide the list in half. Today, we have the folks who have donated up to $1 million. Tomorrow, we’ll have the truly gigantic leviathans.
But even with the list divided in half, this post may be too big for your email provider in the message we sent out today. Please come to tonyortega.substack.com to see this post in its totality.
OK, so let’s get into the lesser whales who are keeping Scientology afloat in 2024!
Patron Meritorious ($250,000)
The Barta Family; Stephen Siewert; Zoltan & Judit Kovacs; Gillian Christie; Dave Le Sueur; the Gortler & Stuckly Family
Salvatore Romano; Thierry Matra; Isa & Allison Totah; Petra & Joelina Wies; Keiko Yamaki; the Biggi-Massella & Fellah Family; Philipp Mayer
Rick & Nancy Hickey; Jill Methven; the Morier-Genoud & Riche Family; the Kolle Family; Cathy Safft
[Not pictured: Patron Meritorious ($250,000)
The Chen Tsai Family
Erick Gutierrez & Family
Chris & Ashtyn Kjeldsen
The Kretz Family
Stephen Siewert
The Vanka Family
The Vineyard Family
Petra & Joelina Wies
The Joanne Hsu & Kevin Wu Family
YESA
Francesca Zanardi & Doriana Dileo]
Silver Meritorious ($500,000)
Yu-Mei Lu & Shu-Min Wang; Bill Tucker
Vincent & Nicolas Clemente; Angelika Thonauer & Christian Grischany
Beni Tschupp; The Demarco Family
Tony & Jenn Ciotti; Diane Paglia-Baggs
Viola Oberhoffer & Cornelius Burkhardt; A & A Masonry
Dmitry Seliverstov; Grupo Expansion
[Not pictured: Silver Meritorious ($500,000)
The Bauer Howland Family
The Luca & Antonella Bertoncelli Family
Tim & Jill Chiappe
The Iannuzzi Family
Pam Peterson
The Rischer-Riederer Family
The Luan-Yi Sammi Yen Family]
Silver Meritorious With Honors ($750,000)
The Delafraye Family; Ulrich Katzschmann & Helene and Verena Gentze
Adam Ben Jacob & Mayela Sandoval; The Douthe Family
Andreas & Marianne Altheimer; Maria Lara
Giovanni Rusconi & Patrizia Brambilla; Enrico Rosa & Monica Slongo
Gerd & Annegret Serfass; Minoru Motokawa
The Gysei Family; Douglas Nagy
The Garside, Field & Pownall Family; Paul & Diane Stein
The Seymour Family
[Not pictured: Silver Meritorious With Honors ($750,000)
Siegfried Awissus
The Sharon Phillips Family
The Scherzer Family]
And now, for the donors who have given the IAS at least a million dollars, Impact magazine provides some brief biographical information about them. Hip, hip, hooray!
Gold Meritorious ($1 million)
The Occhipinti Family
Milano, Italy
Lifetime Members since 1988 (Roberto), 2003 (Micol)
A father-daughter duo. For 25 years, he co-owned a healthcare company and distributed nearly 120,000 copies of The Way to Happiness, all as he says “to be causative in life”
Gold Meritorious ($1 million)
Ted McGrath
California, USA
Lifetime Member since 2016
He’s a Solo NOTs auditor, entrepreneur and bestselling author on a mission to build a community of future-thinkers. He lives by his motto: “Be Limitless.”
Gold Meritorious ($1 million)
Frederic & Marielle Grossmann and Family
Paris, France
Lifetime Members since 1993
An unstoppable force for Paris. He’s a CCHR die-hard and IAS Freedom Medal Winner, while she is a leader on the OT Committee. Their motto: “The Change Is Now!”
Gold Meritorious ($1 million)
Patrick & Jacqueline Schnidrig
Vienna, Austria
Lifetime Members since 1990 (Patrick), 2008 (Jacqueline)
Patrick and Jacqueline are an Ideal force. She leads Vienna Org, while he spearheads the completion of Orgs across Europe. Their goal: an Ideal Third Dynamic.
Gold Meritorious ($1 million)
The Tucci Family
Florida, USA
Lifetime Members since 1993 (Paolo), 2000 (Adriana), 2002 (Damiano)
He’s been a top full-time Field Staff Member for some 40 years. And she, known as the Empress, has won 14 LRH Birthday Game trophies for her Mission in Belleair, Florida. Now, in perfect Italian style, they are shifting into overdrive for a cleared planet.
Gold Meritorious ($1 million)
Russell & Stephanie Croman
Texas, USA
Lifetime Members since 1994
He’s an award-winning visionary in the field of astrophotography. She’s an FEBC Graduate, leading the charge for Austin Day. Together, they are Texas hot.
Gold Meritorious ($1 million)
Ed Simon & Beata Carlson and Family
Florida, USA
Lifetime Members since 1993 (Ed), 2002 (Beata)
Ed leads a company, crafting prototypes for automotive giants, and Beata is a New OT VIII, transforming smiles with her expertise in natural dentistry. Their mantra: “Make It Happen!”
Gold Meritorious ($1 million)
Joe & Sara Cecala and Family
Illinois, USA
Lifetime Members since 2007
She’s the Boss, also known as the Family Coordinator. He’s the CEO and tenacious civil rights attorney dedicated to combating psychiatric abuse. Their rallying cry rings clear: “Chicagoans never quit.”
Gold Meritorious ($1 million)
Kevin & Maggie Nordenstrom
Florida, USA
Lifetime Members since 1990 (Maggie), 2009 (Kevin)
He’s a Solo NOTs auditor and general manager, using his skills to service over 100 locations. She’s a professional organizer for the last 25 years. They do it all under the motto: “Get it done.”
[Not pictured: Gold Meritorious ($1 million)
The Dan Auerbach Family
Dr. Mike and AnaMaria Becker
The Garatti & Bernocco Family
The Calvin & Patsy Lane Family
The Morrill Family]
We really appreciate those short notes about the trophy winners, and also their mottoes — isn’t that special!
Tomorrow, the mighty list of Scientology’s true moneybags.
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Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history
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Group Therapy: Our round table of rowdy regulars on the week’s news
So strange, never any names that are familiar to me.
Except Dan Auerbach, who was a technician for Hubbard at one of his hiding places. Once he visited the Gold Base and told us to gold-plate the shielding system for the Music Studio. He never came back, and nothing was in writing, so I felt safe ignoring that dumb idea.
And Bill Tucker. May not be the same guy, but one of my PCs in the 70s had a withered arm. In the photo one of his arms is hidden by the trophy. I wonder, is he is still hoping Scientology will fix it?
You can sort of understand the US big donors, that can use the amounts to save on their taxes. Why give it to the government when Dave will spend it just as wisely. But I don't think Japan and France allow tax deductions for donations. Do they? Or is it just yet another example of the old adage about a fool and his money?
The picture with the younger kids. That gets me every time. I hope they haven't put their young ones through the Purif yet, it's dangerous even for adults.