In August 1989, Aum Shinrikyo was given official status as a religious corporation by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in Japan. And by this point, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, Shoko Asahara had already started calling himself "Tokyo's Christ," "Holy Pope," and "Savior of the Century." "A Case Study on the Aum Shinrikyo" notes that this recognition gave Aum Shinrikyo several advantages, "including massive tax breaks." It also offered immunity from oversight since "under the Japanese Religious Corporation Law, after a group is recognized, authorities are not permitted to investigate its 'religious activities or doctrine.'"
It was later revealed that Aum Shinrikyo gained its religious status through "an aggressive lobbying campaign," but once it was legally recognized, the character of the cult changed drastically.
Its membership also soared after its legal recognition. Aum Shinrikyo turned from a small group to an organization with 10,000 members in 1992, by their own accounts. By 1995, that number had grown to 50,000 members worldwide, with offices in Japan, Russia, and the United States, among other countries. The net worth of the cult also skyrocketed from approximately $4.3 million in 1989 to $1 billion by 1995. According to CFR, Aum Shinrikyo's astronomical financial growth came from the fact that they recruited "young, smart university students and graduates, often from elite families," and they required members "to sign their estates over to the group."
