The United States Investment Company (working on)

Many often refer to a "holding company" that Russell was supposed to own 99% of the stock and evidently, it is thought that this "holding company" owned the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. The "holding company" probably refers to the United States Investment Company. This was not a "holding company" in the sense that it owned the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. There was no company that owned the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. The United States Investment Company was created to raise money on behalf of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, and thus, from Russell's standpoint, all its assets belonged to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. It was a "holding company" only in that it received and held assets on behalf of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Russell did not view these assets as belonging to himself. Indeed, in 1912, all the assets of this company were turned over to the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, and the United States Investment Company was dissolved. 

The fact is that this company was never a corporation in the strict sense of the word. It was a limited partnership organized under the Statutes of Pennsylvania. When it was formed, Russell supplied $900 and two other Bible Students supplied a total of $100, so as to make it start with $1,000 cash. This does not mean that Russell received 90% of its earnings.

This company was organized for the purpose of taking title to certain property which it did take over and afterward disposed of, and every dollar that was received therefrom went into the treasury of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and was used to pay the expenses incurred in the religious work of the WTS. Pastor Russell did not receive one cent profit therefrom, nor did any other person ever reap any pecuniary profit from this company. 

The funds received from this company were expended by the WTS in various ways, one of which was the production of an eight-hour slide/movie production, called the "Photo Drama of Creation". 

Pastor Russell died with little personal money, no bank account and he owned no property aside from a few personal effects, nor did anyone hold any property or money for his personal benefit.

We hope to add more to the above summary later with documentation or links to documentation.

Related Written by Others:

A Short History of the United Cemeteries