This website – with the help of readers – apparently debunked one of Keith Raniere’s claims – that of him tying the New York State record for the 100 yard dash.
Readers are howling with derision.
I think it is important and in the interest of truth not to laugh too hard at Raniere.
He must have a chance to disprove the ugly and perhaps patent evidence that he lied about his accomplishment(s).
This website has offered and continues to offered Raniere a forum to provide proof that he did indeed “tie for state record in the 100 yard dash.”
If he prefers not to communicate with me, he could post it on his own website – proof that he did indeed “tie for state record in the 100 yard dash.”
I will monitor his website and report the information on this website if he did indeed “tie for state record in the 100 yard dash.”
Thus far he has not elected to provide such proof and I can find no evidence in the record books that he accomplished the feat that he claims.
In fairness to Raniere, when he told the story of his “tying the state record for the 100 yard dash” to the Albany Times Union there was no internet to easily check facts.
Once he told it to the Albany Times Union (1986) he was stuck with telling it down the years, although he did not include it on his bio on his website, keithraniere.com.
Since he makes so many astounding claims of athletic accomplishment, (all without verification) one can surmise that either it is not true, or he forgot to mention it, or he is too modest to mention that he “tied the state record in the 100 yard dash.”
Another dubious claim, which I suspect will either be proven or disproven soon, is that Raniere was “east coast Judo champion” at age 11 and/or 12.
Those who know judo must know that there are recognized sanctioning Judo organizations that credibly declare a person an “east coast judo champion.” These certainly must have kept records.
Was Raniere an east coast judo champion in 1971 or 1972?
I am checking now.
A final point of interest is that Raniere declared in his bio that he was “Noted as one of the world’s top three problem solvers” with “an estimated problem-solving rarity of one in 425,000,000 with respect to the general population.”
On its face it is a silly claim.
How could anybody assert this short of surveying everyone in the world and testing their ability to solve problems?
Raniere gives no clue as to what kind of problems he is in top three in solving either.
There may be people in India or Africa or right in your hometown that could solve problems -even math or physics – better than he can if they were tested.
It becomes humiliatingly foolish on Raniere’s part to assert the claim when we find out that his being “noted as one of the top three problem solvers in the world” is based on a study he did himself!
His study was based on a take home IQ test that has been taken by a handful of people and he scored in the top three.
The test is not known to be accepted as a credible measurement of intelligence by anyone other than the test maker, Raniere and the other two people who passed the test- making them the top three “problem solvers”.
The fact that it was a take home test makes the test suspect.
No one really knows if Raniere used a number of people to help him or even assigned the test to someone else who took it for him.
Raniere was on the honor system.
Raniere declaring himself one of the top three problem solvers in the world is analogous to the Kelloggs Company advertising that “Kelloggs Frosted Flakes has been noted as one of the three best tasting cereals in the world” and not disclosing that the ranking was done by the board of directors of Kelloggs.
Raniere should disclose that his being noted as “one of the top three problem solvers in the world” is based on notes he made of himself.
In any event, Raniere is offered the opportunity to rebut any of the contentions that cast serious doubts about his honesty here or on his own website.
Add Comment