The head of the Church of Scientology, David Miscavige, currently serves as chairman of the board of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), a non-profit organization in the United States that manages the trademarks and copyrights for both Dianetics and Scientology. His journey of ascent to power resembles a classic drama, complete with politics, deceit, and intrigue. He was a sick boy who, along with his family, converted to Scientology thanks to a miracle cure. He was a tough and intelligent child who, according to his father, advanced fast through the ranks to, at the age of 16, become founder of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard’s confidant. After Hubbard’s passing, he ascended to the position of authority and ruled the group with an iron grip. He has endured a great deal of criticism, unfavorable press, and even legal action along the road, but he has persisted in his efforts to take the organization global. But during the past few years, most of his family members—including his wife, brother, niece, and father—have abandoned him one by one. Most notably, his father went so far as to criticize his son’s behavior in a book he wrote on his relationship with his son.
Early Childhood & Life
On April 30, 1960, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, David Miscavige was born. He was raised in a Roman Catholic Polish-Italian family in Willingboro Township, New Jersey, as the youngest of Ron and Loretta Miscavige’s four children. His father played the trumpet.
The family claims that during a 45-minute Dianetics session, David, who had asthma and severe allergies as a toddler, was miraculously cured of his illnesses. The family subsequently joined Scientology and relocated to Saint Hill Manor, England, the church’s global headquarters, in 1971.
David, who graduated from Marple Newtown High School, eventually went back to Philadelphia to finish his education. To join the Sea Org, a religious group that oversaw all Scientology management organizations, he relocated to Clearwater, Florida, after finishing high school with his father’s approval.
Gaining the Power
David Miscavige, who first worked as a steward doing errands, later developed a close relationship with L. Ron Hubbard when he was still a late adolescent. He began working closely with Hubbard in 1977 and worked as a cameraman for Scientology training videos.
Later, he joined the Commodore’s Messenger Organization (CMO), a group of young Scientologists tasked with upholding Hubbard’s rules within the various Scientology organizations. In 1979, he was appointed the organization’s leader.
Hubbard ceased attending the church’s public gatherings in 1980, and David assumed de facto control of the group. He was entrusted with handling legal actions brought against Hubbard in 1981, and he also began to oversee Hubbard’s business and literary matters.
Mary Sue Hubbard, L. Ron Hubbard’s wife and the organization’s second-in-command, was convinced to resign from the Guardian’s Office after she admitted guilt to criminal conspiracy during Operation Snow White. Additionally, he had ethics hearings to remove numerous other high officials.
He established Religious Technology Center (RTC) in 1982 to manage and supervise the use of all Scientology and Dianetics trademarks, symbols, and texts. Since 1986, he has continued to serve as the organization’s chairman of the board.
Ronald DeWolf, the estranged son of L. Ron Hubbard, said that Miscavige had manipulated his father to take over the organization. Hubbard did, however, offer a written statement where he referred to Miscavige as a “good friend” and “trusted associate.”
In October 1982, David Miscavige tightened up the rules for using the Scientology trademark, and his RTC team took over most executive positions. Many of the expelled members made attempts to create breakaway organizations over the course of the following few years, but none was successful for more than a few years.
At the Hollywood Palladium in 1986, he informed Scientologists of L. Ron Hubbard’s passing before assuming the position of Captain and leading the group. After Hubbard passed away, the Scientologist Pat Broeker and his wife publicly distributed an order purportedly from Hubbard elevating them to the position of Loyal Officers, the highest position in the group. Asserting that the order was falsified, Miscavige disregarded it.
The group had filed more than fifty lawsuits since the 1970s and had engaged in a number of clandestine smear campaigns against Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees in an effort to pressure them into granting the group tax exemptions. In order to obtain the organization’s designation as a nonprofit benevolent organization in exchange for dropping the legal actions, Miscavige and Marty Rathbun set up a meeting with the IRS commissioner in 1991. After a couple of years, the Church of Scientology received tax exemption.
With the goal of having a church in every major city on earth, Miscavige began constructing new churches and upgrading existing ones in 2003. 38 new facilities have now been opened as a result of the program worldwide.
Bigger Works of David Miscavige
On November 17, 2013, Miscavige finally finished the Flag Building, one of his largest projects, after a ten-year delay. Delivering the Super Power Rundown, a challenging training program for Scientologists, is its main objective.
Personal Legacy & Life
In December 1982, David Miscavige wed Michele Diane “Shelly” Miscavige, another Sea Org member. She was one year younger than him and had worked for L. Ron Hubbard since she was 12 as a member of the CMO.
Miscavige’s wife began acting as his official assistant once he began serving as the Chairman of the Board (COB) of the Religious Technology Center for Scientology. She apparently lost favor after it was claimed that she filled multiple job openings without consulting her spouse.
A police report was made in August 2013 saying that Michele has been missing since her last public appearance in 2007, according to actress Leah Remini, a close friend of David’s wife. She was allegedly held captive at a church building on Gilman Springs Road in San Jacinto, California, according to some Sea Org members. The Los Angeles Police Department dropped the case after a meeting that the Church of Scientology set up between Michele and them, but they declined to provide any other information.
Ronald Miscavige, Jr., David’s older brother, was a Sea Org member who eventually left the organization in 2000. After leaving Sea Org in 2005, his daughter Jenna Miscavige Hill published a book titled “Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology And My Harrowing Escape” that harshly condemned the organization’s methods.
Ron Miscavige Sr., David’s father, departed the church in 2012. A year later, police detained Powell for allegedly spying on Ron while being employed by the Church of Scientology. However, David and the church denied having any association with Powell.
When the surveillance report came, it was discovered that the spy had been instructed not to step in when Ron allegedly suffered a heart attack. This episode inspired Ron to collaborate with Dan Koon to write the 2016 book “Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me.” He alleged in the book that the organization’s violent management style had a terrible impact on many Scientologists and their families.
Estimated Net Net Worth
American religious leader and entrepreneur David Miscavige has a $1 million net worth. In April 1960, David Miscavige was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Being the head of the Church of Scientology is what makes him most well-known. As Chairman of the Board of the Religious Training Center, which oversees Dianetics and Scientology’s trademarks, Miscavige holds the official title.
Trivia
David Miscavige is close friends with renowned actor Tom Cruise. David performed the role of best man at Cruise and Holmes’ alleged Michele-planned nuptials.
David began conducting auditing sessions for Scientology when he was 12 years old. He became the organization’s newest professional auditor.