A Billion Years

Brought to founder L. Ron Hubbard’s yacht and promised training in Scientology’s most advanced techniques, Mike was instead put to work swabbing the decks. Still, Rinder bought into the doctrine that his personal comfort was secondary to the higher purpose of a world-saving mission, swiftly rising through the ranks. Yet he couldn’t shake a nagging feeling that something was amiss—Hubbard’s promises remained unfulfilled at his death, and his successor, David Miscavige, was a ruthless and vindictive man. When Rinder finally escaped Scientology he became one of the organization’s biggest public enemies overnight. Today he helps people break free of Scientology and tells a harrowing but fulfilling story of personal resilience.