[loeg]

You get or used to get true believers working in hellish conditions[1] on the boats, paid ~nothing. It might be a quid pro quo convenience for the Tom Cruises, but there are also some suckers.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Org#Lawsuits

[saghm]

Having a few famous Tom Cruises claiming it helped them is almost certainly part of the strategy for hooking in the dubious.

[sidewndr46]

Cruise's contribution is influence due to his status and likely money given his income. Other's contribution is going to be much simpler, as you pointed out.

[loeg]

I'm saying, Cruise gets more out of it. Others get nothing. They're in it as believers, not a "literature club."