The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the Mormons) has built an extraordinary pile of tax-free wealth by requiring its 16 million members to “tithe”, or pay 10 per cent of their income to the church. But its own accounts show it actually gives to charities less than 1 per cent of what it receives.
In addition, the church runs a $US100 billion, tax-free investment fund, Ensign Peak Advisors, which has quietly built up major stakes in blue-chip firms and now has multibillion-dollar investments in Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google owner Alphabet. It also invests in major weapons manufacturers including Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees[3] and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military technology providers.