The intersection of big cash and politics in Iowa.
Stories we are working on for late 2024 publication.
Rob Sand, Iowa State Auditor and his billionaire family, the Lauridsens, are the very best kind of mega-rich hypocrites. Rob’s folksy persona, in which he and his family are carefully portrayed in the media, Facebook and in fundraising emails, is a farce. We’re working on a few stories, such as, his family flying around on private jets, sometimes with only Rob’s wife Christine Lauridsen aboard, to and from their private eighty million dollar ranch in Aspen. The environmental defecation on the average Iowa voter is fantastic while she lands in Des Moines spewing tons of pollution on the city. Still, the way the Lauridsens often write off personal Net-Jets use through their company LGI Inc is especially rich considering Rob Sand is the Iowa State Auditor.
The family has owned several yachts, some of which were registered offshore to avoid US taxes and have the ability to hire foreign workers, according to Nixon Lauridsen. Additionally, they would take their private jets to meet their private yachts in exotic ports of call all over the world. Strangely, none of these images show up on the Rob Sand Facebook page or in fundraising emails.
The way the family uses people to make even more millions, buy and transport drugs, organize prostitution, and solve their problems with armed mercenaries is despicable. It is particularly reprehensible how they manipulate people by claiming "you are family" and then getting rid of them. They also deceitfully deny these individuals their promised severance packages, deliberately sabotage their future job prospects, and then use their wealthy lawyers to threaten them into silence or face further financial harm. The next time Rob Sand speaks about the First Amendment, perhaps he should educate his family and their lawyer, Ed Hansel, about the concept before lecturing regular people in Iowa about truth and freedom.
Nixon Lauridsen has stated that he intends to financially support Rob Sand to run for Governor of Iowa. The voters deserve to know all the facts about Rob Sand and his family, not just the fake narrative they push on the folks of Iowa. It’s comical voters never see a single image of their kids stepping off their $60M private jet or spending Christmas in their $80M ranch. Actually, it’s not comical, it’s been described as a “fraud perpetrated on the fine voters of Iowa”.
We will have all of these stories this autumn. We have thousands of photos, videos, text messages, emails, and a trove of documents to support our reporting.
The Lauridsens' family cottage in Aspen is where "regular Iowa folks" like Rob Sand bring their kids to learn how to ski.
The Robber Barons
With the assistance of Doug Leibinger of Compass Realty, the Lauridsen Family was able to purchase 600 Owl Creek Ranch Road in Aspen for $38 million from Nikos Hecht. Nikos was outside of the US, evading the authorities due to a felony charge stemming from a drug-fueled incident with a gun at a relative’s home in December 2020, along with other charges. Nikos’s father, Andy Hecht, coordinated with Doug and Compass Realty to quietly sell the ranch to Nixon Lauridsen without a public listing in 2022.
The Lauridsens soon grew disinterested in the Ranch and sold it for $80 million in 2024. Before the ink dried on his $80 million check, Nix terminated the entire staff. In the case of the Ranch's estate manager, a long-time employee of Nix, who was considered "family" by Nix and his children, Nix didn't offer a bonus. Instead of being assigned to another project, he ruthlessly fired the manager and shortchanged him by 66% of his promised severance package. Like an American oligarch, Nix uses people and lies to them to extract extraordinary efforts and dedication. When he is done with them, he throws them into the trash pile and threatens them to keep their mouths shut.
2024 Inspection Report 600 Owl Creek Ranch Rd. Aspen.
ImmunoLin
Nixon Lauridsen owned a yacht called ImmunoLin, named after one of his Proliant Pharmaceutical products made from slaughterhouse waste. Proliant processes cow's blood, dries it, and sells it as "ImmunoLin." This has often become a punchline at family gatherings.
The motor yacht ImmunoLin was frequently used by Nixon's children, girlfriends, executives from LGI Iowa, and family friends for lively, drug-fueled parties. Stay tuned for more details in the Iowa Billionaire Gazette, coming in 2025! We have more videos, photos, emails,s and text messages,
Individuals considering doing business with LGI or Proliant Pharmaceutical should be aware that complaints have been filed with state and federal officials regarding financial wrongdoing by Nixon and Christine Lauridsen. Specifically, the Lauridsen family has been accused of paying personal family workers through LGI, and when asked for employment records, the CEO of LGI/ImmunoLin/Proliant Pharmaceutical refused to provide them. This behavior appears to be part of a troubling pattern involving this billionaire family.
Dodging US Taxes
The Lauridsen family owned the yacht named Opus IV, Marshal Islands during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to travel safely within their bubble. They would fly on their private jets to meet the multi-million dollar yacht in exotic locations. This yacht was registered offshore through a shell company “Huge LLC, Marshal Islands” to avoid paying American taxes. This yacht was purchased in the USA, serviced in the USA, and spent about half of its time in the USA. Not a single tax dollar was paid to the USA. Nixon Lauridsen has avoided US taxes on several of his yachts by applying this same tactic, some as large as 120’.
Billionaire Kids
The children of the Lauridsens benefit from their father's wealth, influence, and employees. They often pressure the family's employees to buy and transport drugs across state lines and internationally. It is understood that if these employees do not comply, they risk losing their jobs.
Walter Lauridsen has taken advantage of his family's position by extorting work product, drugs, and money from his father's employees. These children have learned that their father will always protect them, and ordinary people are powerless when Walt Lauridsen exploits those who work for the family.