This is something I've wondered about over the years.  These cult busineses which got started and sustained because they used slaves and didn't really have much in the way of labor costs.  Very few businesses (with the exception of family-run businesses, which have self-limiting growth potential), have that advantage.

I lived in the ashram in Chicago in the mid-to-late 70s and I was on the board of the non-profit Rainbow Grocery for awhile.  The concept was, that the slave labor was appropriate because of the money that was going to go to the cult in spreading knowledge and in supporting Rawat.  The other members of the Rainbow Board at that time were Steve Kriston, David Shiimberg, Linda Smith and "     " Weiss.  (What was his first name?)

Not only were the premie workers at Rainbow paid very little, they had no benefits at all.  A large percentage of the ashram premies worked there.  So, not only were they working for slave wages, they were subsidized by all the rest of us in the ashram who worked in "the world" and supported the ashram, partially allowing these premies to work for tiny wages and no benefits.

I recall at Rainbow Board meetings bringing up the subject of raising the pay of Rainbow workers, because as ashram housefather, I saw how hard it was to make ends meet as the numbers of ashram premies working for Rainbow increased (at one point is was more than half of the ashram).  Anyhow, I was told by Kriston and Shimberg that Rainbow couldn't afford to do that.  We were expanding to a second store, and money was tight.  If they had to pay more wages, there wouldn't have been the money to expand.

So, the idea that some of the honchos made millions out of this is kind of astounding.

What were the names of the premie couple who worked for Rainbow.  I recall one managed the store on the north side, and the other managed the store on Wellington.  They were nice people, and I don't think they made millions (did they?)    I heard they went into the Amtext book-buying cult business in Southern California.

I left Chicago in 1979 and we had just opened the second Rainbow store (and I think this one was called Premark on West Estes Avenue in Rogers Park).  The first one was on Wellington in the Belmont area.

I worked closely with Steve Kriston in getting the construction financing for the second store, and actually went to the bank (Bank of Ravenswood) that financed the loan and negotiated the deal with Steve.

I remember as ashram housefather how little the premies who worked for Rainbow made and how we relied on the other premies who didn't have cult jobs to make up the difference.

So, I guess Steve and Dorie Kriston are living the high life out of all of that.  I don't doubt Steve worked hard in the business, but it should be acknowledged the distinct advantage the business had because of the low wages it paid (again, with no benefits).

The "Jim" you are referring to is probably "Jim Emerson" who had a natural foods store in Atlanta, and was a business honcho in the cult.  He was quite a bit older than the other premies as I recall, and I have to say I never trusted him -- I always felt wary about dealing with him.

Anyhow, I think all of this is a huge issue and I'd love it if more people involved in this (including those involved in the stores in Denver and Seattle (Atlanta, too, I guess).