Bentinho Massaro (Trinfinity Academy)
Online 'enlightenment teacher' running Trinfinity Academy and various retreats. After follower Brent Wilkins' 2017 suicide and a major Be Scofield exposé, multiple wellness-press and academic critiques have characterised the operation as a high-control online cult.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — online 'enlightenment teacher' with documented suicide of a follower; pattern resembles parasocial NRM.
Profile facts
In context
Bentinho Massaro (born 13 March 1988 in Amsterdam) built an online following from around 2010 through YouTube and Instagram videos describing his own "awakening" — an experience he says he had in Rishikesh, India, as a teenager — and teaching manifestation, non-dualism, and what he calls "Bentinho's truth." He relocated his base of operations to Boulder, Colorado, and in 2016 launched Trinfinity Academy alongside a subscription video platform and paid in-person retreats, stating a goal of a fully enlightened society by 2035.
In 2017, during one of Massaro's retreats in Sedona, Arizona, a participant left the retreat grounds and died by suicide; the Sedona Police Department listed Massaro as its "investigative lead" in the death and, in an interview, played him a recording from an earlier retreat in which he had told the group "Wake up to something important... Otherwise, kill yourself"; detectives ultimately decided no charges could be filed (The Arizona Republic, 2018). In February 2022, three former members of Massaro's inner team — including a former romantic partner — broke non-disclosure agreements to publish a blog post describing what they called a pattern of "psychological and spiritual warfare" within his organisation and calling him "a predator, hiding in the mask of a messiah" (Dazed, 2022; de Volkskrant, 2022). The accusers alleged financial exploitation and described being pressured into sexual contact with Massaro that was framed to them as spiritual "cleansing" of trauma. Massaro has denied the claims; de Volkskrant quoted him responding to the sexual-misconduct allegations by saying: "No one is or is ever forced to do anything against his or her will." Another accused member of his organisation has also denied the allegations. A subsequent podcast series by NXIVM whistleblower Mark Vicente featured interviews with additional former inner-circle members, who presented text messages they said showed Massaro using his position to sexually pursue female followers.
Separately, Rolling Stone (2023) reported that a former partner said Massaro told her he had been diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder and that Massaro had told followers a story about torturing a kitten as a child; in an email to Rolling Stone, Massaro denied ever being diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder and denied torturing the cat; The Guardian (2020) profiled the parasocial, largely online character of his following; and Vice News covered his promotion of 9/11 conspiracy theories. No criminal charges or civil legal findings against Massaro are documented in the sourcing reviewed here — the allegations above are as reported by named outlets and remain contested by Massaro.
Key control doctrines
- Massaro as enlightened being
- Manifestation and 'truth' framework
- Dismissal of mental-health concerns
Recovery resources
- Be Scofield investigative archive — Long-running investigative journalism resource on parasocial-guru / online-coaching communities; substantial Bentinho Massaro coverage.
- A Little Bit Culty (podcast and community) — Ex-coaching-cult survivor community; covers parasocial-guru cases.
- Reclamation Collective — Religious-trauma-aware therapist network.
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Notable public ex-members
- Multiple ex-followers in Scofield reporting
Legal cases & controversies
- Brent Wilkins' family commentary; no formal litigation
Evidence by BITE axis
- Public attacks on departing followers
- Documented follower suicide (Brent Wilkins, 2017)
- Manifestation and 'truth' framework
- Founder claims his own enlightenment
- Substantial fees for retreats and Trinfinity Academy
- Dismissive teaching of mental-health concerns
- Massaro as enlightened being
- Dismissal of mental-health concerns
- pattern resembles parasocial NRM
Lifton's 8 criteria of thought reform
Robert Jay Lifton's 1961 framework, complementary to BITE. Criteria this group exhibits according to the cited sources.
- ConfessionRequired disclosure of past sins, doubts, or 'wrong' thoughts; later weaponised as leverage.
Timeline
- 2010+Massaro grows YouTube following
- 2016Trinfinity Academy launched
- 2017Brent Wilkins suicide; Be Scofield exposé
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
| Title | Type | Reliability | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massaro's organisatie is een dekmantel om hem alles te geven waar hij naar verlangt: macht, geld en vrouwen · archive | Journalism | Secondary | — |
Sources
- Be Scofield, 'The Cult of Bentinho Massaro' (2017, The Daily Beast) search ↗
- Wired magazine coverage search ↗
- Woods, Alden, "Bentinho Massaro's Sedona Experiment: How the search for enlightenment led to a digital cult", The Arizona Republic, 9 May 2018 — https://eu.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-best-reads/2018/05/09/bentinho-massaro-sedona-experiment-how-search-enlightenment-led-digital-cult/487923002/ open ↗
- Waite, Thom, "Spiritual guru or creepy cult leader? The strange story of Bentinho Massaro", Dazed, 23 Feb 2022 — https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/55519/1/trinfinity-academy-abusive-spiritual-cult-leader-bentinho-massaro open ↗
- Woerden, Ivo van, "'Massaro's organisatie is een dekmantel...'", de Volkskrant, 25 Feb 2022 — https://www.volkskrant.nl/mensen/massaro-s-organisatie-is-een-dekmantel-om-hem-alles-te-geven-waar-hij-naar-verlangt-macht-geld-en-vrouwen~bada3759/ open ↗
- Schwartz, Oscar, "My journey into the dark, hypnotic world of a millennial guru", The Guardian, 9 Jan 2020 — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/09/strange-hypnotic-world-millennial-guru-bentinho-massaro-youtube open ↗
- Rolling Stone, Instagram-guru feature on Bentinho Massaro (2023) — https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/instagram-guru-bentinho-massaro-polyamory-cult-sex-1300039/ open ↗
- Wikipedia, 'Bentinho Massaro' (retrieved 2026-08-31) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentinho_Massaro ↗ Wikipedia
- Massaro's organisatie is een dekmantel om hem alles te geven waar hij naar verlangt: macht, geld en vrouwen — https://www.volkskrant.nl/mensen/massaro-s-organisatie-is-een-dekmantel-om-hem-alles-te-geven-waar-hij-naar-verlangt-macht-geld-en-vrouwen~bada3759/ open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗ runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-08-31Body expanded from stub (thin-content programme)
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch H: per-group recovery resources curated. 5 verified entries — Be Scofield archive, A Little Bit Culty, Reclamation Collective, ICSA, Freedom of Mind. Resource set tailored to parasocial-guru case.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Key terms in this profile
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
- Start herePick the reading path that matches your situation.
- PatternsDocumented control patterns with linked profiles.
- Financial controlCommon pattern in wellness, MLM, and coaching contexts.
- Online groupsMany wellness and coaching groups operate online-first.
- FamiliesHow families and close friends can engage with high-control members.
- RecoveryIf you have left or are preparing to leave.
You may also want to explore
Frequently asked questions
Q.Is Bentinho Massaro a cult?
CLCI Hub deliberately avoids the binary label "cult." Instead it places groups on a transparent 0–40 spectrum of documented control using Steven Hassan's BITE model (Behaviour, Information, Thought, Emotional). Bentinho Massaro scores 27 out of 40 — "High Control", at medium confidence. The score describes documented control patterns, not a judgement of members' sincerity or beliefs; many members do not personally experience the patterns listed.
Q.What is Bentinho Massaro's CLCI score?
Bentinho Massaro scores 27 out of 40 on the Cult-Like Control Index, which falls in the "High" band. That total is the sum of four BITE axes — Behaviour 7, Information 6, Thought 7, Emotional 7 — plus a signed modifier of +0 for aggravating or mitigating factors.
Q.Why does Bentinho Massaro score 27 on the CLCI?
The score reflects publicly documented patterns including: Founder claims his own enlightenment; Substantial fees for retreats and Trinfinity Academy; Public attacks on departing followers; Documented follower suicide (Brent Wilkins, 2017). These map onto the BITE axes of behaviour, information, thought, and emotional control, and a signed modifier of +0 is applied for factors such as financial demands, leadership accountability, and exit costs. Every claim is backed by the citations in the Sources section on this page.
Q.How reliable is the Bentinho Massaro rating?
This profile is rated Medium confidence. Medium confidence means the score rests on reputable journalism plus consistent ex-member testimony. CLCI scores are not fixed — they are revised whenever new public evidence appears, and groups that reform can score lower over time.
Q.Where can I get help regarding Bentinho Massaro?
If you or someone you care about is affected by Bentinho Massaro, start with the Recovery resources listed on this page. General cult-aware support is available from the International Cultic Studies Association (icsahome.com) and the Freedom of Mind Resource Center (freedomofmind.com). CLCI Hub is an educational resource, not a crisis service — if anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Found something wrong on this profile?
We accept correction requests from anyone — current and former members, researchers, journalists, family members, and the listed organisation. Submissions are reviewed by an editor; we do not auto-publish.