[] Accordingly, the court finds that all lower-ranking DOS members are statutorily entitled to the return of their collateral, and it orders Mr. Raniere to effectuate that return to the fullest extent practicable.". He was sentenced to life is prison on October 27. He falsely told followers that he was a scientist and that he had created a unique self-help method that would help anyone achieve their personal and professionals aspirations. [190], As established by prosecutors, according to several sources, including former high-ranking members of NXIVM, Raniere's word is final within NXIVM, and nothing of import happens within NXIVM without Raniere's approval. ", "Nxivm: 8 Things We Learned from 'Sex-Cult' Expos", "Feds: 'Self-Help' Guru Kept Women as Sex 'Slaves,' Branded Them With His Initials", "State Closes Midtown Miami School Tied to NXIVM 'Sex Cult' Leader", "The stripe path: How to make your way up in NXIVM", "I Tried to Make Sense of the Alleged Sex Cult NXIVM's Bizarre Health Claims", "RE: In the Matter of Brandon Porter, M.D. Raniere paid a $40,000 fine and consented to a permanent ban from any chain distribution schemes. Oxenberg produced a docuseries on Starz about her experience in DOS and the first episode aired on October 18. Both focus on NXIVM, the cult-like . A review of his transcript shows that he graduated with a 2.26 GPA, having failed or barely passed many of the upper-level math and science classes he bragged about taking. [272], Kristin Keeffe became Raniere's partner in the early 1990s. The group's. [106][107] On May 4, Raniere pleaded not guilty. [175] The Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons and authorities at USP Tucson moved to deny the injunction, on grounds that Chakravorty is not a paralegal but merely "an ardent former ESP and NXIVM coach with whom [Raniere] is banned from associating. [75][91] Edmondson further appeared in "Escaping NXIVM", during the first season of the CBC podcast Uncover. publication beginning with the 2020 Inaugural Issue. [154][155][156], On September 30, 2020, Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York sentenced Clare Bronfman to six years and nine months in federal prison. The sponsored articles echo complaints from Keith Raniere's appeals and prison-related case, including Raniere's complaints asserting that: Of these articles, one (placed in the Village Voice) names an author writing on behalf of the Ascend Agency. Image Source: Getty / Amy Luke HBO's latest documentary, The Vow, pulls back the curtain on the horrifying world of NXIVM and its founder, Keith Raniere, who was accused of running an abusive sex . Mr. Raniere has accused Judge Garaufis of corruption and has demanded a new trial, which the judge has denied twice. The U.S. Attorney's Office argued in its Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act prosecution that NXIVM and its subsidiaries existed to promote, enhance and protect Raniere and members of the enterprise. John Tighe wrote about NXIVM on a blog. Clare Bronfman, an heiress to the Seagrams liquor fortune, has seemingly not wavered in her loyalty to Mr. Raniere. She didn't know exactly what was wrong, but her gut told her to leave, so she did. [150][151], While incarcerated, Raniere has maintained his leadership role over NXIVM, regularly communicating with his followers by phone and through TRULINCS email. In Federal District Court in Brooklyn, Ms. Salzman admitted that she had planned invasions of privacy involving email accounts and the altering of recordings edited to remove sections we did not want to turn over to opponents in a lawsuit. These principles - apart from any mystical or religious notions - allow for life to persist and uphold a diversity of beliefs. It touts itself as a "professional coaching company" and its website says it offers "Executive Success Programs," or "ESP," in New York, California, Canada, Mexico and elsewhere. But after Bronfman's father learned how much his daughter was spending on Raniere's legal pursuits, he called the organization out as a cult in a 2003 Forbes profile of Raniere. Parlato, Frank. The company is listed as a "public relations" firm by the website of the City of Irvine (where it holds a business license). The Bureau of Prisons keeps Raniere's cell in Tucson USP "contaminated with feces"; An impending transfer of Raniere out of Tucson USP is "clear retaliation". Much of the footage in "The Vow" comes from Vicente's filming, since he took the clips with him when he left the cult. Keith Raniere, founder of NXIVM, was arrested by the FBI in Mexico in . [93], Sarah Edmondson, a Canadian actress who had been an ESP participant since 2005, said that she left NXIVM after Mack inducted her into DOS the previous March at her Albany home. 425.16", "NXIVM leader Raniere suing Arizona federal prison", "DEFENDANTS' RESPONSE TO MOTION FOR PRELIMARY INJUNCTION", "Order on Motion for Summary Judgment and Order on Motion to Dismiss", "Keith Raniere's case appears to be the product of manufactured evidence, according to FBI experts", "The Court of Appeals overlooks damning evidence of FBI corruption in the Keith Raniere case", "NXIVM founder Keith Raniere claims the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is trying to "silence" him for going public with his evidence tampering claim against the FBI in his 2019 conviction", "Impending Transfer from USP Tucson "clear retaliation" for continued legal efforts to clear my name, says Keith Raniere - The Village Voice", "Businesses Licensed Or In-Process By The City of Irvine", "A Cult Expert Tells Us Why the NXIVM Story Is Far from Over", "IJCAM - Introduction - Comparative Reflections on Scientology and NXIVM", "Janja Lalich: how normal people end up in cults like NXIVM", "NXIVM turned Lake George resort into annual Raniere birthday jamboree", "United States v. Keith Raniere - Detention Memo", "Blast from the past: Complete text from 1988 Times Union article about Raniere and his take-home IQ test", "Univision's timeline of Keith Raniere's life", "NXIVM: Keith Raniere said swallowing his semen made women see blue lights | The Underground Bunker", "When We Exposed Keith Raniere, The Leader Of The Nxivm 'Sex Cult', "Did Asimov inspire Raniere to be 'the mule'? The visit was initially canceled by the Dalai Lama owing to negative press about NXIVM,[70] but was rescheduled; the Dalai Lama spoke at Albany's Palace Theatre in May 2009. After leaving NXIVM in early 2017, she publicly denounced the organization, claiming that she was invited into DOS, a substructure within NXIVM operated by Keith Raniere and Allison Mack, and was branded with a combination of Raniere's and Mack's initials at Mack's Albany home. [288] In August 2018, Catherine Oxenberg's book Captive: A Mother's Crusade to Save Her Daughter from a Terrifying Cult was published. By Dan Adler November 11,. February, 2003. [296] In 2013, NXIVM accused Tighe of illegally accessing NXIVM servers using a former member's login information. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. As part of her plea agreement with the government, Salzman did not contest asset forfeiture. Although the company, which had become popular in Hollywood and among business circles, advertised self-help classes, workshops, coaching and mentorship, according to former members, the group . NXIVM - which began, in 1998, as a " personal and professional development program" dubbed Executive Success Programs - was founded by computer programmer Keith Raniere and his business . [51] Lauren bonded with Mack (the two women eventually became Raniere's inner circle and his sexual partners). [9] Courses attracted a variety of notable students including actors as well as the children of the rich and powerful. [146], In January 2020, Sarah Edmondson became lead plaintiff in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act civil suit filed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York accusing Raniere and 14 associates (including Nancy Salzman, Clare Bronfman, Sara Bronfman, Lauren Salzman, Allison Mack, Kathy Russell, Karen Unterreiner, Brandon Porter, Danielle Roberts, and Nicki Clyne) of conducting illegal psychological experiments on members of the company and abusing them physically, emotionally and financially. She was released to house arrest after signing a $100 million bail bond. India Oxenberg, daughter of actress Catherine Oxenberg, was introduced to the group in 2011. Reported participants included businesswoman Sheila Johnson, former Surgeon General Antonia Novello, Enron executive Stephen Cooper, Ana Cristina Fox (daughter of former Mexican president Vicente Fox),[52] entrepreneur Richard Branson (who denied having taken the classes[53][54]), businessman Edgar Bronfman Sr.,[52] and actresses Linda Evans, Grace Park, and Nicki Clyne. Full of feelings, fire, piss and vinegar, longing, joy, laughter, humor and gratitude. The NXIVM Files These are the essays the NXIVM cult (aka ESP, or Executive Success Program) is suing Rick Ross over, trying to have their publication suppressed. Raniere frequently cited having earned three degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. [48][49][50] The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Raniere adopted the title from the 1981 video game Vanguard, "in which the destruction of one's enemies increased one's own power". [64] Another Forbes article in 2010 discussed the failures of commodities and real estate deals by the Bronfmans made on Raniere's advice. There are numerous reports that the cult at the center of HBO's new docuseries The Vow, NXIVM, is still active, despite its leader Keith Raniere's . [208], The oldest program of NXIVM, Executive Success Programs, had students recite a "Twelve-point Mission Statement", pledging to "purge" themselves "of all parasite and envy-based habits", to enroll others, and to "ethically control as much of the money, wealth and resources of the world as possible within my success plan." The complaints focused on a secretive subgroup within the organization called The Vow or D.O.S. Her sentencing, however, has since been pushed to a later date, as was Lauren Salzmans. Ms. Bronfman pleaded guilty to two charges related to identity theft and immigration fraud. When former NXIVM members left the organization and spoke about the manipulation tactics its leaders used, they were oftenbombarded with lawsuits. Keith Raniere, orchestrator of the cult Nxivm, was recently sentenced to 120 years in prison for racketeering, possession of child pornography, and sex trafficking. A truly disturbing organisation with allegations of slavery, mind control, and alleged people and even child sex trafficking. Bronfman may only appeal the sentence, as she has forfeited the right to appeal her conviction as part of her plea. [153] Prosecutors also submitted documentation that Raniere and his follower Chakravorty used a false name and "burner phone" to evade detection, with Raniere instructing Chakravorty to "get scrutiny" on Judge Nicholas Garaufis, explaining that "the judge needs to know he's being watched". One of these was The Knife Media, or The Knife. [293] Following Keith Raniere's sentencing in 2020, the editorial board of the New York Daily News praised Odato's work exposing NXIVM for its prescience, taking the unusual step of commending the work published by a competitor. [32], Sara Bronfman, daughter of Edgar Bronfman Sr., was introduced to NXIVM by a family friend in 2002. Yet this cannot be done without first raising human awareness, fostering an ethical humanitarianism, and celebrating what it truly means to be human - and this is our mission. There, she became one of the leaders of DOS and played an integral role in branding DOS women and making them Raniere's sex slaves, which she admitted during her court hearing in 2019. Vicente, a writer and director from South Africa, joined NXIVM after meeting and befriending Raniere while on vacation. She now sees a therapist and a specialist who help her boost the critical thinking she lost during her time in NXIVM, takes boxing classes to physically release her anger, and is planning a wedding with her fiance while living in Los Angeles. NXIVM formerly known as Executive Success Programs (ESP) This page contains information The Cult Education Institute has gathered about NXIVM formerly known as Executive Success Programs (ESP). This is where current and former NXIVM members, including top-ranking executives and Raniere's former sex slaves, are now. Kristin Snyder. [230] Dr. Alan Jern, Associate Professor of Psychology at RoseHulman Institute of Technology, wrote in Psychology Today that "[d]espite NXIVMs obsession with being taken seriously by influential people and mainstream institutions, their penchant for secrecy and refusal to follow the norms of science means that their research was scientifically pretty worthless. test". Clare Bronfman arrives at federal court, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. NXIVM Co-Founder Sentenced To 3 1/2 Years In Sex Slaves Case. [42][270], Barbara Bouchey was a client of Nancy Salzman, having been referred to her in 1988. Mack, known for her role in the television show "Smallville," moved from Los Angeles to Albany, New York, where NXIVM is headquartered, in 2o11 to be closer to Raniere. Natalie would subsequently claim to have been the victim of harassment. He then asked her questions about her sexual history while another person performed oral sex on her, she said. Frank Parlato 12:06 am 100 Comments I am touched and flattered. In November 2022, advertisements similar in format to editorial content (commonly known as "advertorial" or "sponsored content") ran in the websites of the Miami New Times, The Mercury News, East Bay Times, and The Village Voice.