Karen#1
Well-known member
[David Tourjé — art rebel, major Scientology funder]
Readers know that we keep an eye on the wealthy donors who are recognized by Scientology each autumn at the International Association of Scientologists gala in England. But church leader David Miscavige in recent years has also been holding “Patrons Balls” at other times of the year, and it turns out that he held one in Los Angeles for the New Year’s Event.
We know this because a new issue of Impact magazine just came out, and not only does it list the trophy-winners at the LA party, but it also has a separate list of donors who didn’t make it to LA. What a bonanza!
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 the IAS, which started out as a defense fund for the church in 1984. The IAS this past fall celebrated its 41st anniversary with its big yearly party under a giant tent at Scientology’s UK headquarters in East Grinstead, England. (You can see those trophy winners here and here.)
At a Patrons Ball, donors are celebrated who have reached a new cumulative goal in their total overall spending. This is called a “status,” and they have fancy names, like “Gold Meritorious” ($1 million) and “Patron Laureate” ($10 million). It’s like a game for rich people, who try to give enough each year 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.]
OK, let’s take a look at those trophy winners at the New Year’s Event in LA…
Patron ($50,000): Chris & Saretta Savage, Steve & Andrea Oliveau, Taylor Pace, Brave Hammontree, Elsa Tuttle, Russ Reiser, Barry N. Watson, Elizabeth Swan, Philippe Dubreuil
Read more and see more pictures
The millionaires keeping Scientology afloat in 2026!
Readers know that we keep an eye on the wealthy donors who are recognized by Scientology each autumn at the International Association of Scientologists gala in England.
tonyortega.substack.com
