Deep in the jungles of Bougainville, a man crowned himself king, founded a bank with no money, and promised salvation through spreadsheets. Meet Noah Musingku: prophet, monarch, financial engineer and architect of the most absurd sovereign state you’ve never heard of.

Is it a nation, a church or just the world’s most committed pyramid scheme?

This week, we’re joined by writer and podcaster extraordinaire Sean Williams to talk us through his remarkable investigation.

Find Sean on X: @swilliamsjourno and check out his podcast: https://www.underworldpod.com/

His original Harpers story is here: https://harpers.org/archive/2024/11/the-island-king-sean-williams-bougainville/

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Suggestions? Questions? Comments? You can find us at helltopaypodcast@gmail.com

Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

When Joshua Boyle and Caitlan Coleman set out on a backpacking trip through Afghanistan, they told friends it was a spiritual journey.

What followed was one of the strangest hostage sagas of the 21st century — a tale of love, captivity, delusion and coercion — which has offered up more questions than answers.

Support us by signing up for our Substack at https://helltopaypodcast.substack.com/

Suggestions? Questions? Comments? You can find us at helltopaypodcast@gmail.com

Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies

In this episode, we dig into the bizarre saga of American evangelicals, stolen artifacts from Iraq, and a DIY biblical empire-building project gone very, very wrong.

Then, some riffing on current events and a few past episodes.

Support us by signing up for our Substack at https://helltopaypodcast.substack.com/

Suggestions? Questions? Comments? You can find us at helltopaypodcast@gmail.com

Theme music: War Machine (The Purpose of a System Is What It Does) by Sister Ray Davies. Check them out: https://www.instagram.com/sisterraydavies