On this episode of the world famous Sofa King Podcast, we explore the roots of the cult slash pyramid scheme slash sex trade known as NXIVM. Pronounced Nexium, this “multi-level marketing company” was created by Keith Reneire. He may be the most persuasive man on the planet (sort of the evil Tony Robins). He started grifting and conning when he was only eight years old, blackmailing girls on the playground based on things he overheard them saying. By thirteen, he was running game on multiple girls at once, telling them they were all "the one." Shortly thereafter, he was studying Ponzi scheme, Scientology, and strange forms of hypnotism to brainwash the masses.

Unlike other cults, NXIVM was created to be a cult. Some cult leaders seem to build a base and then go mad with power, but Reneire wanted the cult from childhood. Though never busted for it, when he was 24, he had a sexual affair with a 15 year old but never got in trouble because she killed herself (and we suspect he convinced her to with his strange mind powers).

Once he was older, Reneire started a pyramid scheme that was broken up the city of New York and he fumbled around a bit until he met a few partners, out hypnotized a hypnotist, and created the “Executive Success Program,” which eventually got branded as NXIVM. In the role of the CEO and cult leader, he started to assemble multi-millionaires around him as he gave $7000 seminars to thousands of people. He recruited Allison Mack, AKA Chloe from Smallville to be his right hand, and she assembled a cadre of sex slaves for him. Yes, that’s real, and I typed it just now. Reneire was so persuasive that even after he was branded as a cult leader, he managed to fly the Dali Lama to New York and meet with him on stage (where the Dali Lama gave him white scarf).

So, why did his sex slaves get branded by lasers? Why did members of his group wear colored belts as if it were a martial art? Who were the Luciferians? Why was one of his seminars called “Dracula and Ghouls?” Which members of his cult were reincarnated Nazis? How did he make women see blue light when they had sex with him? What finally got this madman arrested, and what crimes was he ultimately guilty of? Oh, and why, Chloe, why!?!?! Listen, laugh, learn…

Thorough Article on the Women: https://time.com/5568135/nxivm-allison-mack-raniere/