There is a huge difference between a "Sovereign Individual" and a "Sovereign Citizen."

I need to make the distinction because the original version of this article (in 2002) has prompted a number of people to call me about becoming a "Sovereign citizen." That term applies to a group of people who allegedly ignore the law and/or engage in domestic terrorism.  For more details about the sovereign citizen movement put that phrase into a major search engine.

By contrast, a "sovereign Individual" is a person who seeks maximum personal freedom within the laws of any country where the individual is either a citizen or a permanent resident. For some, that kind of freedom is obtained by international diversification. They may be citizens of one country and residents of a second.  They may have most of their investment assets in a third country and may own a business in one or more other countries.

If you are looking for maximum personal freedom and privacy in a world that is increasingly looking like the "big brother" depicted by George Orwell in his classic book, 1984, then you need to become less dependent on any single country -- particularly those that represent the modern welfare state with high taxes and intrusive regulations. 

The Sovereign Society is an international association that exists to help its members to become "citizens of the world" and to legally become as free as possible from the shackles of the nation states that seek to manage and control every aspect of the lives of their citizens and residents. To a large extent, the Sovereign Society is based on the book, The Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg. The book is about the ongoing conflict between those in control of the nation state and the citizens or residents of those states. The authors predict that the Internet (and other technology) will prevent the politicians from controlling the transfer of information across borders and will provide individuals with opportunities for greater personal freedom. A few super wealthy individuals might buy their own country to become truly sovereign individuals. Others will associate themselves with countries that are more hospitable to those who seek freedom from government intrusion and control. Still others will simply take protective measures to give themselves a nest egg of assets and an escape plan  if the country where they live should adopt some totally unacceptable laws or regulations. 

James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg were founding members of the Board of Advisors of the Sovereign Society. The board of advisors is a veritable "who's who" of international consultants in economics, banking, investments, technology, law and taxes. This is a powerful brain trust that would be impossible for any one person to gather on their own. The expertise of these advisors is available to members through the members newsletter, web site and conferences. 

The Chairman of the Sovereign Society is John Pugsley, a long time reporter on economics, investing and personal freedom.


Members of the Sovereign Society receive The Sovereign Individual, a monthly 16 page newsletter. 


An extensive web site with contacts and information resources is available for members. The Society provides a variety of other benefits for members including a variety of conferences each year, a pre-arranged foreign banking program, and help with securing a second citizenship.

The Sovereign Society has over 35,000 members all over the world and their free email newsletter is distributed to more than 300,000 readers. Also, unlike many ads on Internet web sites, the Sovereign Society does not advocate breaking the laws of any country. They do not advocate committing tax evasion (a felony in some countries) but they do advocate maximum tax avoidance through legal structures and devices. 

Vernon Jacobs


http://www.vernonjacos.com