Whatever happened to that old feel good extended weekend seminar known as “est,” which developed a “cult following” that included celebrities like Valerie Harper and John Denver?
Well it got bigger and better, at least from a business perspective.
Est is now called “Landmark Education,” and according to a press release on Yahoo, the private for-profit company now has “60 major offices in 21 countries,” affecting “100 cities” with ” 750 professionally trained course leaders worldwide.”
The PR spin gushes about Landmark’s recent deal with Sprint “to improve its communications infrastructure.”
The company’s “flagship” program is called the Forum, which can be seen as mass marathon training.
Landmark has a rocky history that includes serious complaints about abuses, subsequent lawsuits and more than a little bad press.
Its founder Werner Erhard (a.k.a. Jack Rosenberg) also went through some rough times. His bad patch included allegations of incest, spousal abuse and income tax problems.
Erhard eventually sold the company and licensed its “technology.” The specific details of that sale were never disclosed
But never mind all is well now.
Landmark is clearly pulling in more money than ever.
And Erhard? He resolved his personal problems and ended up a rich man relaxing on the beaches of the Cayman Islands. He lives in Georgetown with his girlfriend Hanukkah.
Landmark still generates lawsuits, complaints and bad press, but they seem to settle such matters quietly and weather whatever controversy arises comfortably.
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