In 1998, Keith Raneire and Nancy Salzman founded a personal development company called Executive Success Programs (ESP). By 2002, the name of the organization was changed to NXIVM. This organization provided courses meant to help people with self-improvement, but the rules and practices made the organization seem more like a cult. Years later, ex NXIVM members came forward about an alleged sex cult ran by the founders of NXIVM. Was NXIVM really focused on self improvement, or were the techniques actually ways to brainwash the members to join the NXIVM cult?