Keith Raniere is just the kind of sociopathic dweeb that you would expect to start a cult called NXIVM, in which he conned mainly women into believing they would receive enlightenment by having sex with him and giving him all their money. Sadly, he manipulated a lot of people and brought the worst out in others. Along the way he committed a litany of crimes ranging from trafficking, to pedophilia, and left a long trail of trauma in his wake. He is overall a horrible fraud of a human, and spoiler alert: we are not a fan. Kick back, relax, and let's talk about this bizarre cult, bbs.
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Our sources for this episode include:
The Program: Inside the Mind of Keith Raniere and the Rise and Fall of NXIVM
by Chet Hardin and Toni Natalie
Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult That Bound My Life
by Sarah Edmondson
Cults Inside Out: How People Get in and can get out
by Rick Alan Ross
In Raniere's Shadows: Women recall manipulation, underage encounters
by James M. Odato and Jennifer Gish