Grant Cardone Says He’s Given $18M To Scientology But Declares, ‘Oh, Absolutely Not a Cult…Is MAGA A Cult?’
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Some people tithe. Real estate mogul Grant Cardone wires millions.
In an interview with “VladTV” last week, Cardone defended his long-standing ties to the Church of Scientology, brushing aside the most common critique.
When asked directly if it’s a cult, Cardone said, “Oh, absolutely not a cult.” Then he laid out his own definition: “Some closed, uniform—everybody’s gotta believe the same thing, shout by the same prayers, live to one person’s beliefs. That’s definitely not what it is.”
He described attending courses with atheists, Baptists, agnostics, and Protestants. “I’ve never seen a cult where you allowed all groups to come in,” he said. “They’re not worshiping anyone.”
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And if Scientology is a cult, Cardone said, then the list’s about to get a lot longer.
“Unless a football team’s a cult,” he said. “Unless the U.S. Americans—Make America Great Again—is MAGA a cult? Is the Democratic Party a cult? Are the Catholics a cult? Jews?” Then he added, “I think they’re all kind of cults.”
Cardone said Scientology and Dianetics are separate things entirely—one deals with the body, the other with the spirit—and that the church doesn’t operate like a multilevel marketing scheme. “You could throw a billion dollars at the Church of Scientology, and you’re not moving up,” he said. “Your contributions to the church doesn’t make you a higher-ranking member.”
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Instead, he said moving up requires training, not tipping. The courses, he claimed, start as low as $10 and can even be taken online for free. “I’m a member like anybody else would be,” he said. “I don’t work for the church. I’m not in a hierarchy.”
That’s when the money came up. Vlad asked how much he’s donated.
“I don’t know—$15 or $18 million?” Cardone said. “But I’ve raised a couple hundred million dollars for charities.”
The number might raise eyebrows, but Cardone insisted he’s not even close to being the top donor—and that money isn’t supposed to be the point. “A church gets a donation, let’s say you gave $15 to the church—they want to give you something for that donation,” he said.
He then compared Scientology’s critics to people who abandon recovery programs and then claim to know how they work. “I would never get advice from a quitter,” he said, referring to ex-member Leah Remini. “She’s a piece of garbage. I wouldn’t ask her for advice on anything.”
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The deeper financial thread? Cardone’s entire argument rests on the idea that donating—even at eight figures—doesn’t translate into power or privilege. That’s not how churches should work, he implied, and certainly not this one.
If you’re giving to an organization expecting something back, Cardone would likely say that’s not charity—that’s a transaction. And if you’re measuring religious ROI, you might want to check your balance sheet and your beliefs.
Want to give generously and still retire comfortably? That part might be worth running by a financial advisor.
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