Posted by Amazing [Anointed] on September 27, 2000 at 07:06:32 {xgItjcRdko0hi4VK0MIQASIIcexUto}:
In Reply to: WEALTH OF WTBS posted by 166.122.33.165 on September 26, 2000 at 18:47:47:
Hello: It is difficult to completely measure the WTS wealth and income, but we can get some ideas using a little math, and as information comes about, I am compiling it into my files.
At one time, a Dunn & Bradstreet report showed the WTS annual US income at about $2.4 Billion. Dunn & Bradstreet is a credit reporting agency used for corporations, similar to Trans Union, CBI, TRI, etc are for consumer credit reporting.
Subsequent report I received showed a substantial drop in US income, to less than $2 Billion. My guess is that some of the income may now only be reported to the branch in the country of residence. And the slow down in growth, coupled with a lot of JWs not contributing as much. This may reflect a lot of JWs who have left the organization only spiritually, but no one know it.
The Society prints about 320 Million magazine a month. Assuming that the average JW contributes about 30 cents per copy, then this means that the Society brings in $96 Million per month, or $1.152 Billion per year in magazime income alone. However, this represents Worldwide figures.
There are about 90,000 congregations worldwide. If each congregation contributes an average of $100 per month, (which many do far more than that each month, then the Society picks up another $108 Million per year.
We can add other books and publications, parking concessions, stocks and other donated "income" type assets, what individual JWs send in directly, and the moneys turned over from the worldwide preaching work for the worldwide preaching work. LOL
That whole donation to the worldwide work is a crock, because it is nothing more than a JW saying 'pay me for being out in the worldwide preaching work.)
I have found a number of investment holdings connected to the Society, but I little time to devote to verification of these, but when I do then it will be exposed to the whole world.
The Society also saves a lot of money by pushing expenses back to the congregation level. For example, the CO cars and insurance are normally paid by the Circuit, along with the COs needs at each congregation along the way.
The Society traditionally has charged interest on Kingdom Hall loans. And the congregations pay the Society for hazard insurance. The Society uses lots of volunteers, and many hours of profdessional labor and materials are often donated, thus making new facilities cost far less.
I do not, nor have ever felt bad about this 'donated' feature, as it is customary with every religion. But, what this means in real terms is that the Society brings in a lot of cash, and does not pay tax or incur as much costs as a private business would.
Here is another cool feature:
Take just $1 Billion in cash and hold it in the bank for 30 days. Assuming that your money Market account pays about 5% per year, calculate the interest on that. It equals about $4.2 Million per month.
I cannot imagine that the Society spends every nickle the minute it comes in, and I cannot imagine every nickel gets investing in real estate or other instruments. So just sitting for 30 days in a money market accounts can add great additional income. Just a thought.
Hope some of this help. - Simply Amazing