NXIVM

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NXIVM was a private company founded in 1998 in Colonie, New York, by Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman. It offered personal‑growth seminars through a program called Executive Success Programs (ESP) and used a method it called Rational Inquiry. The group had centers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico and grew to include several affiliated groups and ventures. At its height, NXIVM reportedly had about 700 active members and attracted some well‑known students.

Over time, former members and journalists raised serious concerns about NXIVM’s practices. In 2017, investigations and a New York Times exposé revealed a secret society within NXIVM called DOS. Women in DOS were allegedly branded, forced to provide compromising information or nude photos, and subjected to coercive control and exploitation as a form of blackmail.

Following these reports, federal authorities charged Keith Raniere and several others in 2018 with crimes including sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering. Allison Mack (an actress), Clare Bronfman (the heiress of Seagram), Nancy Salzman, and others were arrested or pleaded guilty. Raniere and several co‑defendants faced trials and sentencing.

- Keith Raniere was found guilty in 2019 on multiple counts, including racketeering and racketeering conspiracy, and was sentenced in 2020 to 120 years in prison.
- Clare Bronfman was sentenced in 2020 to about six years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to related charges.
- Nancy Salzman pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced in 2021 to 42 months in prison.
- Allison Mack pleaded guilty to racketeering and was sentenced in 2021 to about three years in prison.

After these convictions, U.S. authorities seized NXIVM’s assets and intellectual property. The organization effectively shut down, though some former members and supporters continued to dispute the charges or maintain loyalty to Raniere.

NXIVM has been described in various ways, including as a cult, a pyramid scheme, and a sex‑trafficking operation. Critics argued that it blended self‑help teachings with coercive control, manipulation, and criminal activity, while supporters sometimes defended it as a movement for personal growth. In the years since the trials, many former members have spoken out about abuse and manipulation they say they experienced inside NXIVM and DOS.