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What Is Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’s Net Worth?
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, better known as L. Ron Hubbard, the American science-fiction author and founder of the Church of Scientology, had a substantial estate at the time of his death in 1986. While alive, Hubbard was known for his controversial leadership within the Church of Scientology. His financial standing at the time of his death has been a subject of interest, particularly because of the church’s financial practices.
L. Ron Hubbard’s Net Worth at the Time of Death
At the time of his death in January 1986, L. Ron Hubbard’s net worth was estimated to be around $26 million [1]. Factoring in inflation, this is equivalent to approximately $60 million in today’s value [1]. The actual figure may have been higher because Hubbard put some of his assets into a trust for his children, his wife, and the Church of Spiritual Technology [1]. The majority of Hubbard’s assets, precisely $25 million, were attributed to copyright and trademark materials [1]. Additionally, he held $1.3 million in business investments, particularly in the oil and gas industries [1].
Hubbard’s estate filing following his death inventoried total assets at $26,305,706 [1]. This detailed valuation included not only the tangible assets but also the considerable intellectual property he had amassed through his writings and the doctrines of Scientology. This fortune was accumulated through his literary works, the establishment of Dianetics, and the founding of the Church of Scientology [1].
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard was born on March 13, 1911, in Tilden, Nebraska [1]. His family moved to Kalispell, Montana, and then settled in Helena in 1913 [1]. Hubbard’s early life involved frequent moves due to his father’s service in the US Navy [1]. During the 1920s, the family repeatedly moved around the United States and abroad [1].
Hubbard’s early education included attending Union High School in Bremerton, Washington, and Queen Anne High School in Seattle [1]. Later, he transferred to Helena High School in Montana but was dropped due to failing grades [1]. After failing the Naval Academy entrance exam, Hubbard attended Swavely Preparatory School in Manassas, Virginia, to prepare for another attempt [1]. However, he was diagnosed with myopia, which prevented him from entering the Naval Academy [1]. He attended the Woodward School for Boys in Washington, DC, and then George Washington University, where he dropped out after receiving several failing grades [1].
In the 1930s, Hubbard began writing for pulp fiction magazines, with “Thrilling Adventures” publishing his first short story [1]. He wrote under various pseudonyms, including Joe Blitz, Winchester Remington Colt, and Kurt von Rachen [1]. In 1937, he published his first full-length novel, “Buckskin Brigades” [1]. He also penned novelettes like “Fear,” “Final Blackout,” and “Typewriter in the Sky” for John W. Campbell’s magazines “Unknown” and “Astounding Science” [1]. Additionally, Hubbard wrote the script for the movie serial “The Secret of Treasure Island” [1]. Hubbard’s prolific writing career in the pulp fiction era marked the beginning of his accumulation of wealth, setting the stage for his later success with Dianetics and Scientology [1].
Dianetics and the Church of Scientology
In the late 1940s, Hubbard developed Dianetics, a pseudo-scientific therapeutic process intended to cure people of traumas [1]. He launched it publicly in 1950 with an issue of “Astounding Science” and his book “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health” [1]. The book became an immediate commercial success, creating a nationwide cult that attracted figures like Aldous Huxley, Jean Toomer, and William T. Powers [1]. Hubbard’s theories, though controversial, rapidly gained traction, boosting his public profile and income [1].
Expanding on Dianetics, Hubbard created Scientology in 1954, with followers believing that humans are immortal spiritual entities and in an extraterrestrial life-form known as Xenu [1]. The Church of Scientology became highly controversial and was accused of being a dangerous cult and a manipulative for-profit business [1].
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Hubbard faced numerous legal challenges and controversies, spending much of his time at sea with the Sea Organization and later in seclusion in the California desert [1]. In 1978, he was convicted of fraud in France and sentenced to four years in prison [1]. These legal issues led Hubbard to live as a recluse, moving frequently to evade authorities [1].
Later Years and Life as a Recluse
Due to the legal threats he faced, Hubbard sought recluse at sea with his personal fleet of ships and the Sea Organization [1]. After returning to land, he moved into a hotel suite in Daytona Beach, Florida, and then secretly moved into a condo complex in Dunedin [1]. When he was discovered, Hubbard moved to Washington, DC, and continued to move to evade authorities, living in safe houses in Culver City and La Quinta, California [1]. After his fraud conviction in 1978, Hubbard went into hiding in an apartment in Hemet, and later roamed the Pacific Northwest with his messengers Pat and Annie Broeker [1].
During this time, Hubbard penned his first new science-fiction books in almost three decades, including “Battlefield Earth” and “Mission Earth,” and wrote music for three albums [1]. For the final two years of his life, Hubbard lived in a luxury motor home on a 160-acre ranch near Creston, California, continuing to earn large amounts of cash while still involved with the Church of Scientology [1].
Despite his reclusive lifestyle, Hubbard remained actively involved with the Church of Scientology, which continued to generate substantial revenue [1]. His creative output during these years, including his science fiction novels and musical compositions, further contributed to his wealth [1]. It is important to highlight that Hubbard’s dedication and focus was not just about acquiring wealth but also about disseminating his philosophical and religious ideas through various mediums. Hubbard’s ability to monetize his beliefs contributed significantly to his financial success and the net worth of the Church of Scientology.
Personal Life and Death
In 1933, Hubbard married Margaret Grubb, who was pregnant at the time, but she suffered a miscarriage [1]. They had a son named Lafayette Jr. and a daughter named Katherine [1]. Hubbard divorced Grubb in 1947, the year after he married occultist Sara Hollister [1]. While married to Hollister, Hubbard had an affair with his PR assistant, and Hollister had an affair with a Dianetics auditor [1]. Hubbard and two of his staff members kidnapped Hollister and her infant daughter Alexis and tried to find a doctor to declare his wife insane [1]. Hubbard and Hollister divorced in 1951 [1].
In 1952, Hubbard married Mary Sue Whipp, with whom he had four children: Diana, Quentin, Suzette, and Arthur [1]. Hubbard suffered from many health problems in his later years, including chronic pancreatitis [1]. In January 1986, he had a stroke and died a week later at the age of 74 [1].
L. Ron Hubbard’s life was filled with controversy, creativity, and significant financial success. From his early days as a pulp fiction writer to his establishment of Dianetics and the Church of Scientology, Hubbard accumulated considerable wealth, with his estate valued at approximately $60 million at the time of his death [1].
