WTBTS investments

enoughisenough

I found this article, how be it from about 10 years ago. https://clarencesisk.com/watchtower-investments/ I didn't even go to the end of the article, but assuming the writer knew of which he wrote, WT had/has? stock in bot J&J and Pfizer. If they still do, little wonder Jehovah knew to tell them to push the poison. Another investment appeared to be Blackrock Enterprises. And then there are the weapon's of war builders, and studios that produce movies that are questionable...( you would be called into the backroom if you watched ) and Monstanto who try to control the food of the world. Just a few. I looked to see if I could find something more current, but a short search didn't reveal anything. I would like to point out, it was only after I left the JW that I learned they had all of this stock. I thought their income was only from donations. I didn't realize people's donations were going into stocks warmongers.

Newly Enlightened

We covered this in a video years ago, but maybe it's time to do it again since there are a lot of 'newbies' that don't even know about this.

here is the 2020 IRS Form 990 pf

https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/386043103/download990pdf_04_2022_prefixes_33-39%2F386043103_202104_990PF_2022042019903201

Beth Sarim

'I thought their income was only from donations. I didn't realize people's donations were going into stocks warmongers.'

LOL,I know shock upon shock hey. I never would have thought that either up until recently too.

JeffT

Retied accountant here.

This is not a tax return for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. It is a form 990, the form used for non-profit entities. In this case, the Henrietta M. Riley Foundation. It is either a private foundation, or a trust treated like a Foundation. The Watchtower is a beneficiary of the trust, meaning it gets the income generated by the trust.

Irrevocable trusts are commonly used to pass on estates to children, or causes the grantor considers worth doing. I assume that MS Riley was some rich JW that got talked into creating this trust. One of the fun facts about this type of trust, is that the beneficiary has no control over how the funds are invested or managed, so long as the trustee is following instructions.

I suspect that in this case Ms Riley's trust document says something like "make money and give it the WTBS," and failed to specify that the trust not deal in things like the military or tobacco. From my recollection of the last time this came up there was more of that sort of thing listed. It is possible that the trustee divested some problem stocks without violating the trust agreement.

I may not be able to get any more information, but I'm going to try next week, just because I'm curious.

I have no doubt that the WTBS has engaged in some questionable practices. I don't think this is one of them.

Atlantis

GEORGE SAMUEL ZOLLINGER v. WATCHTOWER SOCIETY was the 1948-5? Michigan CONTEST of the WILL executed by testatrix Henrietta May Riley, whom had inherited a sizable estate when her husband, Dr. William Henry Riley, had died in 1941, and her "wealthy" unmarried only child had died in 1942.

In 1948, the value of the Riley Estate was uncertain, but was estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Riley Estate consisted of several real properties in Virginia and Battle Creek, Michigan, but also included unspecified valuable Oil and Gas investments, which were managed by a Texan named Almon J. White.

The creation of the Henrietta M. Riley Trust on or about 1970 appears to have coincided with the death of Almon White in 1970. George Zollinger (Tennessee) was a brother of Henrietta M. Riley, whom had been left only $1000.00, (and possibly a monthly annuity). Sister, Essie Jane Davis, of Albuquerque, N. M., was left two lots in Battle Creek, $5000.00, and $100.00 a month for life. Siblings, James G. Zollinger of Burlington, Colorado, Thaddeus G. Zollinger, and Ethel Betsie Bolton were left only $50.00 a month for life. Notably, Thaddeus and Ethel predeceased Henrietta, and the three surviving siblings died only one, two, and six years later.

Thus, little money was paid out by the estate under the annuity provisions. A bequest of $5000.00 was made to Almon J. White of San Antonio, Texas. Daughter Marian White received $3000.00. The Whites are believed to be relatives.

Henrietta M. Riley also gave $1000.00 to the Battle Creek, Michigan Company of Jehovah's Witnesses to purchase the Upton Avenue lot on which the Battle Creek Kingdom Hall was constructed.

The residue, which was nearly all of the Estate of Henrietta M. Riley, was left to the WatchTower Society. This lawsuit also included the dispute as to which state had jurisdiction over Henrietta M. Riley's estate given that she had lived part time in the state of Virginia beginning in 1942 until her death in 1948. Outcome is unknown, although the MILLIONS OF DOLLARS received from the estate trust would seem to indicate that the WatchTower Society came out with most if not all of such.

In 2019-20, the Henrietta M. Riley Trust distributed roughly $825,000.00 to the WatchTower Society, and currently has remaining assets of roughly $3.1 MILLION.

Besides the gum-flapping about the investment choices of the Trustee, one realistic SCANDAL is the fact that Henrietta M. Riley was a PROMINENT SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST for most of her life. Henrietta May Zollinger had been born in Wisconsin in 1871. The Zollingers had become SDAs in 1874. George S. Zollinger, plaintiff in this civil lawsuit, remained a loyal SDA, and one of his grandsons, Robert "Bob" Zollinger became a prominent SDA leader. We have not been able to uncover WHY or WHEN Henrietta M. Riley parted company with the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Curiously, the funeral of Henrietta M. Riley was officiated by a local BAPTIST minister.

Henrietta May Zollinger (1871-1948) met and married (1897) her husband, Dr. William Henry Riley (1862-1941), during the six years that he taught neurology at the University of Colorado - Boulder, and served as the Superintendent of the SDA's Colorado Sanitarium in Boulder. William Henry Riley, Jr., was born in Boulder in 1900. In 1902, the Rileys moved back to Battle Creek, Michigan, where they both worked at the famous SDA sanitarium for decades. Henrietta M. Riley graduated from the medical school at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, and worked as a physician's assistant there.

Internationally renown Dr. William H. Riley was a director, faculty member, and physician at the facility. The Rileys knew and worked with Ellen G. White and the Kellogg brothers, and counted as patients dignitaries such as U.S. Presidents. Every knowledgable SDA member knew Dr. William Riley through his many books, booklets, and SDA publication articles.

Unmarried only child, attorney William H. Riley, Jr., predeceased Henrietta M. Riley in 1942. Junior had graduated from Harvard Law School in 1927, and had later earned a LLD from Columbia University. Junior later worked for three years in Wash D.C. on the staff of the United States Solicitor General. Socializing at the homes of SCOTUS justices and at the White House, Junior purchased a 1000 acre historic farm in Virginia. In April 1942, Junior had undergone an unspecified serious operation at Battle Creek Sanitorium. After recuperating at his mother's BC residence for three months, Junior returned home to Virginia only to die two weeks later.
Junior's estate actually appears to have been the source of his mother's greatest wealth.

Between the two law schools and Wash D.C., Junior had gone to the oil fields of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, where Junior did unspecified legal work for an apparently short period of time during the Great Depression. "Someone" had to initiate and supervise this unknown enterprise, which apparently resulted in quick and possibly immoral, unethical, or even dishonest wealth for Junior. It is a real possibility that the WatchTower Society has for decades benefited from the misfortunes and/or even robberies of multiple Oklahomans, Texans, and Kansans decimated by the Great Depression and northern "carpetbaggers" seeking to take advantage of such.

http://jwemployees.bravehost.com/NewsReports/2057.html

Grandpa!

Atlantis

Tobacco related information.

https://www.watchtowerlies.com/the_watchtower_is_earning_money_from_the_tobacco_industry.html

Grandpa!

WTBTS investments

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