Story Notes
Ravi's Treasure
An Oregon Cult?
With an FBI raid imminent, guru and cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh left his compound near Antelope, Oregon, on a private plane in the early hours of October 28, 1985. Authorities believed he was headed for Bermuda.
The crazy story of the Rajneeshpuram cult, is detailed in the documentary series, Wild Wild Country. While watching the escape episode, I thought it was funny that he tried to Escape to the Bermuda Triangle. In fact, I thought that was a great hook for a story. I recommend the series if you want to see how a spiritual movement can become an organized criminal operation.
Bahamian Banking Industry
If you are curious about the offshore banking side of the story you may want to look up the ICIJ’s Bahamas Leaks investigation, which explored how Bahamian offshore companies, trusts, and foundations were used in the larger world of financial secrecy.
Shark Week
Should you ever find yourself planning a SCUBA diving adventure where there could be sharks, I recommend the TV show How To Survive A Shark Attack (2025), which was part of the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. The divers in the show demonstrated redirecting large sharks by placing a hand on the shark’s snout, which contains sensitive electroreceptors used to detect nearby prey. The sharks were massive, and they simply turned away. I cannot recommend trying the move, but I can recommend stealing it for a story.
The 1715 Treasure Fleet
In July 1715, a Spanish treasure fleet sailed from Havana for Spain, loaded with gold, silver, jewels, and coins gathered from Spain’s colonies in the New World. A week later, a hurricane drove the fleet onto the reefs off Florida, scattering ships, survivors, and treasure across what became known as the Treasure Coast.
For centuries, divers and recovery crews have pulled gold, silver, and artifacts from the wrecks. And the discoveries are not just ancient history. As recently as 2025, divers recovered more than a thousand silver and gold coins from the 1715 fleet wreck sites, valued at roughly one million dollars.