Werner Erhard's Kevo

Werner Erhard was born John Rosenberg in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A used car salesman, he left his wife and family in 1960, changed his name so he could not be traced, and disappeared into the West. There he worked a variety of jobs until 1971, when he developed the concept of est (Erhard Seminar Training). Erhard’s est program used an intense, confrontational style of group therapy to make participants “get it.” It was known for its strenuous seminars, perhaps most notoriously for forbidding participants bathroom breaks.

Erhard enjoyed a fair amount of success throughout the 1970s to 1980s, retiring est in the mid-1980s and replacing it with the Forum, a less strenuous version of est. By the late 1980s, however, things began to go wrong. Erhard had ruffled more than a few feathers with his abrasive style, and insisted for years that the Scientologists (a group he once had ties to) were harassing him. He even went so far as to claim that they had put a contract out on his life. By the end of the ‘80s, the IRS had placed liens on millions of dollars worth of Erhard’s property, and one of his daughters had told 60 Minutes that her father had abused members of the family and committed incest.

In 1991, Erhard left America for parts unknown. His daughter later retracted her statements, and the IRS was forced to admit that the allegations of tax fraud were false, earning Erhard $200,000. In spite of this, Erhard has yet to return to the United States.

The Forum, the successor to est, was sold by Erhard to Landmark Education, a company started by former Erhard employees and headed by Harry Rosenberg, Erhard’s younger brother. They continue to offer the Forum courses, and claim that there is no continuing tie between the company and Erhard, although rumors abound. They have also had to deal with allegations that the Forum constitutes a dangerous cult.
Work History
"1991; Sold most of his assets and left the United States in response to allegations of tax fraud and incest. Although he successfully sued the IRS for their claim, and his daughter recanted the accusation of incest, Erhard has yet to return to the United States. Erhard sold Forum to a group of employees who founded Landmark Education. Landmark is headed by Erhard's younger brother, Harry Rosenberg. 1985: founder, Transformational Technologies 1985: founder, The Forum, a for-profit organization that is a more up-to-date version of est. 1981: founder, Werner Erhard and Associates 1980; founder, The Breakthrough Foundation, a foundation to combat juvenile delinquency. 1977: founder, The Hunger Project, designed to alert people to the issue of world hunger. 1973: founder, The est Foundation, San Francisco, California. 1971: founder, the est training (Erhard Seminar Training), a self-awareness group seminar. 1967-1969: Vice president, Parents Magazine Cultural Institute 1960: Erhard, at that time named John ""Jack"" Rosenberg, left his Philadelphia family and did not contact them for 12 years. He changed his name to avoid being tracked down (an uncle was a police captain), and held a series of jobs, including, selling encyclopedias for the Grolier Society Incorporated.

pre-1960: used car salesman, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "
Awards
Werner Erhard has also won numerous Awards