Karen#1
Well-known member
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[/td][Tom Cummins, always chasing that next trophy]
Yesterday, we told you that a new issue of Scientology’s Impact magazine contained a photographic tribute to some of the church’s donors, including the usual megadonors we have come to know so well.One of those was Tom Cummins, an electricity deregulation entrepreneur who lives in Italy after making his fortune in Florida, and who, along with his wife Victoria, has given about $145 million to the church that we’ve been able to document — $70 million to the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) and $75 million to various “Ideal Org” projects around the world.
The magazine also contained a pretty remarkable video featuring Cummins doing his best to explain the religiosity and fulfilling nature of turning over such huge amounts of money to church leader David Miscavige to use, even at a time when the organization is clearly struggling after years of negative growth. (That last part, of course, is our own assessment and not something Cummins or Miscavige has ever acknowledged publicly.)
One sign of that struggle is that Miscavige, with so few new people coming in, has to rely on donations from existing members, and the video that they have put together of Cummins trying to express the joy and meaning of forking over huge amounts so that you get to take home a trophy at the annual IAS gala is pretty unique. We can’t remember something this direct aimed at church members about what a joy it is to write huge checks to Dave.
Please give it a look and give us your thoughts. We apologize for the quality of the sound and picture, but our helper was operating under less than ideal conditions in order to get us this video that was intended only for members of the IAS.
If that doesn’t inspire you to get out the checkbook, there’s also this profile of Michael D. Roberts in this new issue of Impact…
The ‘Oh my Godness’ of Scientology: A stunning new testament outsiders aren’t supposed to see
Yesterday, we told you that a new issue of Scientology’s Impact magazine contained a photographic tribute to some of the church’s donors, including the usual megadonors we have come to know so well.
tonyortega.substack.com
