Poor David Miscavige. As if he doesn’t already have enough problems with declining membership, horrible press, and all those nagging questions about banishing his wife to a small mountain compound.
At least he has his whales. As we’ve pointed out innumerable times, Scientology’s dictatorial leader really can’t do anything about people giving up on him and leaving Scientology, but what he can focus on is his loyal and wealthy donors who turn over incredible sums of money. They’re the ones Miscavige has to convince that Scientology is a going concern, and he really doesn’t care what the rest of us think. Bad press? Who cares, as long as the whales are convinced that new “Ideal Orgs” mean Scientology is expanding.
We’ve seen more people than ever turning over millions to Miscavige, and some of them have done it in very creative ways. Two of the biggest whales, Trish Duggan and Doug Dohring, for example, have found ways to use the stock price of Humira’s manufacturer and profits from the ABC Mouse program to funnel money to Scientology.
So you can imagine how Miscavige must have been licking his chops at the prospect of what promised to be the richest program started by Scientologists of all time. We told you about it in 2015, a proposed futuristic city built from scratch southwest of Melbourne in Australia’s state of Victoria. The state was proposing to sell nearly 1,000 acres for development to a team headed by a guy named Bill Zheng.
But the Aussie press was suspicious. Not only did Zheng’s consortium seem to come out of nowhere and with overnight funding from overseas, but Zheng, the press there said, was “linked” with Scientology.
Linked with Scientology? Uh, yeah, we pointed out, if you mean by “linked” a hardcore Scientologist who had done the L Rundowns at the Flag Land Base and had made significant donations to the International Association of Scientologists and the Super Power project.
When you think about the ways Zheng’s city might have made accommodations for Dave’s front groups, as well as the donations the consortium could have made after that sweet $30 billion in government money started coming in, you can see what a plum this could have been for Scientology.
As we pointed out at the time, it was an interesting turn of events for a state that actually banned Scientology in the 1960s. Was anyone there paying attention?
Well, perhaps someone was. Four years later, the Victorian state government has put out official word that the project is dead. It will look into other ways to develop the area, and Zheng’s super-city is not happening.
Bummer. And you know Zheng was this close to a Freedom medal, too.
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Meanwhile, in Manhattan…
Miss Lovely caught us up over lunch, and asked us to remind you that we have a book for sale…
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Masterson witness fears for safety as investigation drags on and on
[TWO years ago] Scientology and the Spoonbenders: Jon Atack on a previously unpublished Ingo Swann essay
[THREE years ago] Our money man takes another look at new (and grim) Scientology financial disclosures
[FOUR years ago] NYTimes reports link between Scientology and hack of two who appeared in ‘Going Clear’
[FIVE years ago] Ryan Hamilton files lawsuit 16 against Scientology’s drug rehab network
[SIX years ago] SCIENTOLOGY CELEBRITY REBELLION: Leah Remini Dared to Ask, “Where’s Shelly?”
[SEVEN years ago] Prehistoric Aggression: More Reasons Katie Holmes Was Smart to Avoid Scientology Marriage Counseling
[EIGHT years ago] Tom Cruise Not a Kook! Pfizer Protest Linked to Scientology, But Don’t Tell the Protesters That
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,501 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,630 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,134 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,654 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 674 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 565 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,872 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,740 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,514 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,288 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,634 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,200 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,119 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,287 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,868 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,129 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,168 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,880 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,406 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,495 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,635 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,955 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,811 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,930 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,285 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,588 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,694 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,096 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,968 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,551 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,046 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,300 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,409 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 8, 2019 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
