Prem Rawat: Leering at Lear Jets

Prem Rawat's 1990S Leased Personal Jets

Prem Rawat or Maharaji as he was known in the 1990s could not afford to purchase a personal jet that would satisfy him. In the 1990s Prem Rawat's obsession with flying aeroplanes was given an incredible boost as financing the lease of very expensive jets became feasible for a cabal of his wealthier devotees thanks to the tax breaks involved in the leasing of areoplanes. He was able to upgrade planes until 2014 when the annual cost of a leased Gulfstream G650 became more than they could afford and he had to let go of "his" G650. In 2020, with annual usage of 400 hours per year, the total annual operating cost for a Gulfstream G650 will be around $3½million and the cost per flight hour comes out to about $10,000.

Prem Rawat realizes He Needs a Canadian-Made Challenger 601 (1990)

On October 4th 1990 an urgent call went out for donations required as Rawat had decided he needed a Canadian-made Challenger 601. This would cost $8 million over the proceeds of selling the Learjet 55. Despite the Lear 55's impeccable performance record over the 630,000 miles flown over the last four years (157,500 miles per year average) it had to go as it took Maharaji seven days to fly from Los Angeles to New Delhi, a trip that took ordinary people in a commercial flight a day. He was so enamoured of flight in his new Challenger he was inspired to write poetry.

Some people are never satisfied and so Prem Rawat has had his plane upgraded a few more times and at staggering cost. The cost of gaining each new non-Indian student must be astronomical though calculating it would be difficult as he seems to be losing as many as he is gaining and not even the Lord of the Universe can divide by zero. These aircraft are not purchased by Prem Rawat but are leased from the actual owners. Purchasing an aircraft to lease apparently has major tax benefits for people wealthy enough to make use of them as the IRS permits the depreciation of aircraft over 6 years.

 

Prem Rawat Is Upgraded To A Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV (1997)

Gulfstream Aerospace G-IV - cost about $25 million

 

Prem Rawat Is Upgraded To A Gulfstream Aerospace G-V (2000)

 

Prem Rawat Is Upgraded To A Newer Gulfstream Aerospace G-V (2007)

Gulfstream Aerospace G-V purchased 2000 - cost about $45 million

His Peacefullest Moment - Prem Rawat Is Upgraded Up To A G650: Prem's Peak Moment

Gulfstream Aerospace G650 purchased 2013 - cost about $65 million

The G650 seats 18 passengers and has 4 crew members. Fuel costs about $6 per nautical mile so a flight to New York from Los Angeles costs about $13,000 for fuel alone. To an average person there is no significant difference between a G550 and a G650 though the G650 cabin height is 6'5" rather than 6'2" but that would not matter for Prem Rawat. The Priyan Foundation (www.priyan.nl) amusingly registered in Diemen, the Netherlands continues to be the source of funding. In 2013 the G550 was sold to Nike to use as a company plane after it was given a special paint job. Phil Knight, the billionaire philanthropist, co-founder and chairman of Nike, Inc. bought a G650 for his personal use. Knight has a personal fortune of approximately $16 billion and if he hasn't already given a billion dollars to charitable organisations he will have soon. Unlike Prem Rawat he does not have a web site that gives details of all his donations though Prem Rawat does not donate his own money as he is a minor millionaire at best. Other billionaire owners of a G650 include Oprah Winfrey, Bernie Ecclestone, "Lord of the Rings" director Sir Peter Jackson, Stephen Wynn and companies like Walmart, Exxon Mobil.

The Prem Rawat Foundation took delivery of N650PR at Bradley International Airport in New Hampshire on 19th November, 2013

The Ultimate Humiliation - Prem Rawat Is Downgraded Back To A G550

Prem Rawat had never forgotten the humilations when he was the Lord of the Universe but had to fly commercial. However it soon became apparent that the wallets of his most sincere and richest worshippers could not afford to pay the operating costs of a G650. No matter how much foot-kissing and bathing in his radiance they were allowed. The G650 passed into the hands of Platinum Equity LLC on 18th December 2014 and is presumably used to fly a real billionaire around.

In December 2022 I found this on a site called: thebusinessjetguy
Gulfstream G650 was owned by Prem Rawat (Indian American billionaire also known as Maharajji), manufactured in 2013. Aircraft has a strange configuration of 3.5 zones with an aft half zone. Aircraft is now operated by Flexjet. Reg: N650PR