left arrow BackNext right arrow
< BACK TO Fresh Intelligence

Scientology, Tom Cruise Lose Wealthiest Member to Rationality

james_packer_tom_cruise.jpg
'ALIENS! VOLCANOES! I KNOW, RIGHT?!' Packer and Cruise in a joy-off
James Packer, one of Australia's richest men (once worth $7 billion) and Scientology's richest member, is pulling away from the Xenu crew.

He was introduced to Scientology by Tom Cruise in 2002 at a low point in his life. Fat, depressed, and divorcing his first wife, Jodhi Meares, he was suffering through the public collapse of of his family's business, One.Tel.—he had lost $350 million. Having bounced back, he reportedly told his friends he no longer "needs it." Packer's neck deep in a casino venture now, which doesn't quite jibe with Scientology-approved behavior. The chruch founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote in 1977 that "An obsessive gambler is a psychotic just like a drug addict or an alcoholic." Or as Packer's come to know them, regulars. [Sydney Morning Herald]

Comments

Thank goodness! The cult has lost it's biggest cash cow.

Posted by: JaneyZ on May 9, 2008 6:25 PM

Radar says: "... he was suffering through the public collapse of of his family's business, One.Tel. - he had lost $350 million."

The original article was more accurate: "he was reeling from the humiliating and very public collapse of One.Tel, losing $350 million from the family business on the way."

Packer's family business is Consolidated Media Holdings, with annual revenues in the billions. His father is worth over $5 billion. One.Tel was just a pet project (an expensive one) that went south.

In any case, good to see him cutting off the alien psychiatrists.

Posted by: Mujokan on May 11, 2008 6:24 AM

Advertisement


Post a comment

Your comment will not be visible for about a minute. If you don't see your comment when the page reloads, do not post it again. Reload the page in a minute, and you'll see it.

 


The Chris Matthews Race and Gender Reel

Britney Seeks Divine Wisdom from Mel

'Worst Person on the Internet' Finally Indicted

Headline of the Day

Pharmaceutical Slogans For Politicians

Sources: WaPo Executive Editor Leonard Downie Out in '09

Anthony Pellicano Goes Down

Jose Canseco Wants to Whoop You

British Teens Imperil the Future of the Nation by Climbing Things, Jumping Off Them

California Supreme Court Overturns Ban On Gay Marriage


EXECUTIVE EDITOR:


EDITED BY:
, with

CONTRIBUTORS:
, , and others


Email us at:
tips@radaronline.com
or IM: TipRadar







Full Court Press
Charles Kaiser on Torture Team: Rumsfeld's Memo and the Betrayal of American Values

Generation Slap
They're naive, self-important, and perpetually plugged in. This is a call to arms against Millennials

MURDER! MUTILATION! CANNIBALISM!
One man's tour through the world of death metal

Homosexual Agenda
Gayest Person Ever? Author Joel Derfner wants the title

Full Court Press
Frank Rich leads this week's list of Winners and Sinners





House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Brings the Pain
It's getting hot in here

Your '80s Heroes Are Now Losers
Just as messed up as we hoped

A post-Obama world is a good world
Yes, he did

Bush the Third
You've been warned

A younger Bill O'Reilly gets angry
But did he ever have it?