Investigation Discovery plans to re-examine the life of Clare Bronfman, an American heiress and former leader of NXIVM, in their show Rich & Shameless. The episode, titled The Heiress and the Sex Cult, will dive deeper into the mysterious case and air on Thursday, November 16, at 9 p.m. ET.
In 2002, Bronfman embarked on her journey with NXIVM, quickly becoming a committed follower and financial backer of NXIVM founder Keith Raniere, along with her sister Sara. While portraying itself as a ‘self-help group’, NXIVM was ultimately recognized as nothing more than a cult, as time passed.
Bronfman played an important role in making this cult a big thing and lured girls into the cult. She forced women to have sex with Raniere and also blackmailed them with compromising images. In 2018, authorities arrested Bronfman and charged her with money laundering and identity theft in connection with NXIVM activities. Although Bronfman was born with a silver spoon, it is interesting to know why she joined the cult. Let’s dive deeper and get to know more about her.
Clare Bronfman had a career in equestrian before joining NXIVM
Clare Bronfman, born in 1979, is the youngest daughter of billionaire philanthropist and former Seagram liquor chairman Edgar Bronfman Sr and Rita Webb. Shortly after Clare’s birth, Rita Webb (who had renamed herself Georgiana) requested a divorce from Edgar. They remarried in 1983 but divorced again.
Over time, Bronfman developed an interest in equestrian and began pursuing a career in that sport. In 1999, she started competing in several competitions and began to make a name for herself. Two years later, in 2001, she went on to win the Grand Prix at CSI-A in the Netherlands. Bronfman didn’t stop there and won a lot of competitions, including the Grand Prix in Rome in 2002. However, her situation took a dark turn when her sister, Sara, involved her in NXIVM’s personal advancement program. The sisters committed themselves as followers and financial backers of NXIVM founder Keith Raniere. They relocated to upstate New York to work as NXIVM trainers.
They even introduced their father to the cult. However, Edgar severed ties with the group upon discovering that Clare Bronfman had provided Raniere and Salzman with a $2 million “loan” at 2.5% interest. In no time, Bronfman assumed the role of NXIVM‘s operations director and became one of its largest financial contributors. However, Clare’s relationship with NXIVM’s founder soured after her father learned about the loan. Raniere blamed Bronfman for the bad publicity and asked her to make amends. Ultimately, she spent $150 million on NXIVM.
Almost 19 years after the group’s existence, NXIVM started capturing mainstream attention. In 2017, several former members of NXIVM stepped forward to discuss the group and its operations. They urged the New York authorities to investigate the group due to the abuse of many young girls occurring there. In their complaints, the former members revealed the existence of a secretive subgroup within the organization called The Vow or D.O.S.
Before joining the group, every member was required to provide embarrassing information about themselves, including nude photographs. The complaints also asserted that anyone revealing the existence of D.O.S. would face the public release of these photos.
Bronfman was arrested and sentenced to prison
The authorities began investigating the case and federal agents arrested Clare Bronfman on July 24, 2018, in New York City, charging her with money laundering and identity theft in connection with NXIVM activities. She pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released for a $100 million bond. However, authorities placed Bronfman under house arrest.
However, in 2019, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conceal and harbor illegal aliens for financial gain and fraudulent use of identification. On September 30, 2020, the court sentenced her to six years and nine months in prison, along with a $500,000 fine. On the other hand, the court ordered her to pay restitution to victim “Jane Doe 12” of $96,605.
Clare Bronfman is currently serving her sentence at FDC Philadelphia, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
