In the satirical documentary series “How to Become a Cult Leader” on Netflix, Peter Dinklage serves as the series’ narrator and offers advice on how to start one’s own religious cult. The example of Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, whose connections to the American political establishment were undoubtedly outstanding, is one of the most startling ones given in the programme. However, many people are compelled to speculate about Moon’s wealth at the time of his passing. Explore everything with us if you are also in the same situation!
How Did Sun Myung Moon Earn His Money?
Moon founded the Unification Church in Seoul, South Korea, in 1954. Moon was born on January 6, 1920, in what is now North Korea. But the group did not achieve its current level of notoriety until he relocated to the USA in 1971 in an effort to expand his fan base. Jesus supposedly indicated that he had been unable to rid the world of sin, but Moon asserted that he had been instructed to do so by the Christian deity himself.
Moon sought to strengthen his political influence by associating with powerful political people in the USA as his popularity spread across the nation. Republicans in politics who opposed communism and shared Moon’s views on conservatism provided some of his most fervent support. In addition, Moon established a number of companies under the auspices of the Unification Church, some of which flourished and are still profitable for the organisation today.
Consider True World Foods, a company associated with the Unification Church that was founded in the late 1970s and is regarded as the largest supplier of sushi in the USA. The Washington Times is a well-known conservative daily that is largely available in the area in and around the United States’ capital region. It was also formed by the organisation and Moon. In reality, Moon made sure that his wealth would continue to increase through a number of businesses.
That stated, Moon’s role as a religious leader had the greatest impact. In 2004, he and his wife Hak Ja Han were given a royal coronation in the US Capitol by several well-known conservative leaders, which only served to emphasise the wide range of contacts he had made up to that point. Indeed, the substantial gifts made by his adherents helped the church’s message grow even further. Although Moon was sentenced to 13 months in prison after being found guilty in 1982 of conspiracy and submitting false federal income tax returns, his influence remained unaffected.
Sun Myung Moon’s Net Worth
On September 3, 2012, Moon, the Unification Church’s founder, died at the age of 92. The Korean-born leader had thousands of followers at the time of his death, many of them were quite generous with their gifts to him. He also served as the executive of several very profitable companies. Many believe he may have been a billionaire at one point, taking into account his several sources of income and openly stating how successful some of his endeavours were. We estimate Sun Myung Moon’s net worth at around $900 million at the time of his death.