18 February 1954: the Church of Scientology is incorporated

On this day in 1954, the Church of Scientology, founded by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, was incorporated in Los Angeles, California.

"You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion" words reportedly uttered by L Ron Hubbard, the sci-fi writer who founded his own pseudo-religion, the Church of Scientology.

As Janet Reitman notes in Inside Scientology, there was really only one way in 1950s America to get your organisation taken seriously: "cloak it in religious garb". That would give you the moral authority, but also as a religious institution, you could claim tax exemption and "side-step the rules regarding certification for psychological counselling".

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Chris Carter
Wealth Editor, MoneyWeek

Chris Carter spent three glorious years reading English literature on the beautiful Welsh coast at Aberystwyth University. Graduating in 2005, he left for the University of York to specialise in Renaissance literature for his MA, before returning to his native Twickenham, in southwest London. He joined a Richmond-based recruitment company, where he worked with several clients, including the Queen’s bank, Coutts, as well as the super luxury, Dorchester-owned Coworth Park country house hotel, near Ascot in Berkshire.

Then, in 2011, Chris joined MoneyWeek. Initially working as part of the website production team, Chris soon rose to the lofty heights of wealth editor, overseeing MoneyWeek’s Spending It lifestyle section. Chris travels the globe in pursuit of his work, soaking up the local culture and sampling the very finest in cuisine, hotels and resorts for the magazine’s discerning readership. He also enjoys writing his fortnightly page on collectables, delving into the fascinating world of auctions and art, classic cars, coins, watches, wine and whisky investing.

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