Who is David Miscavige? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Age: 64 Years, 64 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Michele Miscavige (m. 1980)

father: Ronald Miscavige

mother: Loretta Miscavige

siblings: Denise Licciardi, Lori Miscavige Vernuelle, Ronald Thomas Miscavige Jr.

American Men American Spiritual & Religious Leaders

Height: 5'3" (160 cm), 5'3" Males

U.S. State: Pennsylvania

Ancestry: Italian American, Polish American

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1

What is David Miscavige's role in the Church of Scientology?

David Miscavige is the Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), which is the organization that oversees the trademarked rights of Scientology.
2

Has David Miscavige been involved in controversies within the Church of Scientology?

Yes, David Miscavige has been the subject of various controversies within the Church of Scientology, including allegations of abuse and mistreatment by former members.
3

What is the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) and David Miscavige's connection to it?

David Miscavige is closely associated with the IAS, which is a membership organization within Scientology that supports the church financially and promotes its activities worldwide.
4

How does David Miscavige influence the growth and expansion of Scientology?

David Miscavige is known for his leadership in promoting the growth and expansion of Scientology, overseeing the opening of new churches and facilities around the world.
5

What is the relationship between David Miscavige and L. Ron Hubbard's teachings in Scientology?

David Miscavige is a staunch supporter of L. Ron Hubbard's teachings and works to ensure that Scientology adheres to the principles and practices set forth by Hubbard.

Childhood & Early Life

David Miscavige was born on April 30, 1960, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The youngest of Ron and Loretta Miscavige's four children, he was raised in Willingboro Township, New Jersey, in a Roman Catholic Polish-Italian family. His father was a trumpet player.

According to the family, David, who suffered from asthma and severe allergies as a child, was miraculously cured of his ailments during a 45-minute Dianetics session. Following this event, the family joined Scientology in 1971 and moved to Saint Hill Manor, England, the church's world headquarters.

David, who attended high school at Marple Newtown, returned to Philadelphia a few years later to complete school. However, with his father's permission, he left school after turning 16 and moved to Clearwater, Florida, to join the Sea Org, a religious order which controlled all Scientology management organizations.

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Rise to Power

Starting as a steward who ran errands, David Miscavige became a confidant of Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, in his late teenage days. In 1977, he started working directly under Hubbard and served as a cameraman for Scientology training films.

He later became a part of a group of young Scientologists called the Commodore's Messenger Organization (CMO), which was responsible for enforcing Hubbard's policies within the individual Scientology organizations. He became the head of the organization in 1979.

As Hubbard stopped appearing at public events of the church in 1980, David became the de facto leader of the organization. In 1981, he was given the responsibility to handle legal claims against Hubbard and started to manage Hubbard’s literary and financial affairs.

After Mary Sue Hubbard, wife of L. Ron Hubbard and second-in-command of the organization, pleaded guilty of criminal conspiracy during Operation Snow White, David persuaded her to resign from the Guardian's Office. He also purged many other top officials through ethics proceedings.

In 1982, he founded Religious Technology Center (RTC) to control and oversee the use of all of the trademarks, symbols and texts of Scientology and Dianetics. He has retained the position of the organization's Chairman of the Board since 1986.

Hubbard's estranged son, Ronald DeWolf, accused Miscavige of manipulating his father to assume control over the organization. However, Hubbard provided a written statement in which he referred to Miscavige as a "good friend" and "trusted associate".

David Miscavige introduced stricter policies on Scientology trademark usage in October 1982 and replaced most management posts with his RTC team. In the next couple of years, many of the ousted members attempted to establish breakaway organizations, but none survived more than a few years.

He announced the death L. Ron Hubbard to Scientologists at the Hollywood Palladium in 1986 and assumed the rank of Captain, the head of the organization. Following Hubbard's death, Scientologist, Pat Broeker, and his wife circulated an order apparently from Hubbard, promoting them to Loyal Officers, the highest-ranking members of the organization. Miscavige ignored the order claiming it was forged.

Since the 1970s, the organization had filed over fifty lawsuits, as well as made many covert attempts at sullying Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officials in order to coerce them into agreeing to tax exemptions for the organization. In 1991, along with Marty Rathbun, Miscavige arranged a meeting with the commissioner of IRS in order to earn the organization recognition as a nonprofit charitable organization in exchange for closing the lawsuits. The Church of Scientology was eventually granted tax exemption after a couple of years.

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In 2003, Miscavige started building new churches, as well as remodeling old ones, with the aim of having a church in every major city in the world. The initiative has opened 38 new facilities around the world so far.

Major Works

Following a decade-long delay, Miscavige finally completed one of his biggest projects, the Flag Building, on November 17, 2013. Its purpose is to deliver the Super Power Rundown, a high-level training course for Scientologists.

Personal Life & Legacy

David Miscavige married Michele Diane "Shelly" Miscavige, a fellow Sea Org member, in December 1982. She was one year younger to him and served Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, as a member of the CMO since she was 12.

After Miscavige assumed the position of the Chairman of the Board (COB) of Scientology's Religious Technology Center, his wife started serving as his official assistant. Apparently, she fell from grace after she allegedly filled several job vacancies without asking her husband.

Actress Leah Remini, a close friend of David's wife, filed a police report in August 2013 claiming that Michele has been missing since her last public appearance in 2007. According to some Sea Org members she was being kept captive at a church facility on Gilman Springs Road in San Jacinto, California. Church of Scientology arranged a meeting between Michele and the Los Angeles Police Department, following which the case was closed, but the police declined to answer further questions.

David's elder brother, Ronald Miscavige, Jr., served as a member of Sea Org, but left the church in 2000. His daughter, Jenna Miscavige Hill, left Sea Org in 2005 and wrote a book titled ‘Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology And My Harrowing Escape’ which severely criticized the practices of the organization.

David’s father, Ron Miscavige Sr. left the church in 2012. A year later, police arrested a man named Powell for spying on Ron, allegedly hired by Church of Scientology. David, as well as the church, however, denied any connection with Powell.

After the report of surveillance surfaced, it was revealed that the spy was told not to intervene when Ron apparently had a heart attack. This incident prompted Ron to co-author the book ‘Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige, and Me’ (2016) with Dan Koon. In the book, he claimed that his son's brutal approach to running the organization had disastrous effects on countless numbers of Scientologists and their families.

Facts About David Miscavige

David Miscavige is an avid guitar player and has been known to enjoy playing music in his free time.

He is a skilled photographer and has a passion for capturing moments through his lens.

David Miscavige is known for his dedication to physical fitness and often participates in high-intensity workout routines.

He has a deep love for animals and is actively involved in animal welfare initiatives within the Church of Scientology.

David Miscavige is a talented public speaker and has delivered motivational speeches at various events around the world.

David Miscavige Biography

You wanted to know

What is David Miscavige's role in the Church of Scientology?

Has David Miscavige been involved in controversies within the Church of Scientology?

What is the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) and David Miscavige's connection to it?

How does David Miscavige influence the growth and expansion of Scientology?

What is the relationship between David Miscavige and L. Ron Hubbard's teachings in Scientology?