Mike Rinder

Michael John Rinder (/ˈrɪndər/; April 10, 1955 – January 5, 2025) was an Australian and American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and Sea Org based in the United States. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder was on the board of directors of CSI and also held the post of executive director of its Office of Special Affairs, overseeing the corporate, legal and public relations matters of Scientology at the international level.

Rinder left Scientology in 2007. Since then he talked about the physical and mental abuse inflicted upon staff members by the leader of Scientology, David Miscavige, and by Rinder himself before his departure from the organization. He also stated that abuse was embedded into the culture of Scientology. From 2016 to 2019, he co-hosted the Emmy Award-winning A&E documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. In 2020, he and Remini reunited to launch the podcast Scientology: Fair Game. In September 2022, he published a memoir titled A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology.