Power & Secrecy · U.S. Politics · Investigation
Inside the Redwoods: What the Bohemian Grove Membership Leak Actually Shows
A private, 2,700-acre campground in Sonoma County, California has been the subject of curiosity and investigative effort for decades. The Bohemian Club — founded in San Francisco in 1878 — runs an annual two-week men-only retreat at this site every July. Membership is invitation-only. No application form exists. No woman has been admitted as a new member since 1925.
In early 2026, independent journalist Daniel Boguslaw published what he described as the club’s 2023 camp membership list on his Substack. The list names approximately 2,200 individuals. One club member confirmed to journalists that the document is a real 2023 roster. Bohemian Club spokesperson Sam Singer stated the club is private and does not disclose member or guest information.
The list covers names from politics, business, technology, and entertainment. Members are divided into sub-groups called “camps,” which operate much like fraternities — people in the same camp gather together during the annual retreat. The most common first names across the ~2,200 entries are John (128 times), Robert (115), William (85), James (84), and David (75). This is, as one source described it, a list of old money and power.
A 1980 Gallup analysis of available membership data found that 30% of the top 800 U.S. corporations had at least one officer or director connected to the club. The club’s IRS Form 990 filings are publicly accessible via ProPublica. Its status as a private organisation was confirmed by the California Court of Appeal in 1986 — Bohemian Club v. Fair Employment & Housing Commission.
Bohemian Grove — “Cremation of Care” ceremony, 1907. A 30-foot concrete owl statue still stands at the lake’s edge. | Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
The Numbers at a Glance
The Bohemian Grove is a restricted campground in Monte Rio, Sonoma County, California. It belongs to the Bohemian Club, which also maintains a clubhouse in San Francisco. Every July, members gather at the Grove for a roughly two-week retreat. Up to 500 staff are employed during a full session; historically, union cooks and waiters from San Francisco were hired, while in recent years local college students have also been employed. All staff sign non-disclosure agreements.
The camp is governed by a 15-member board of directors elected from among regular members. Becoming a member requires sponsorship from two current, non-related members, a completed questionnaire about artistic or literary background, and letters of reference. The waiting list has historically spanned years.
The Grove’s patron saint is Saint John of Nepomuk — chosen, according to club lore, because he refused to reveal confessional secrets even under threat of death. A carved wooden likeness of Saint John stands at the lake shore inside the Grove. The club’s motto is “Weaving Spiders Come Not Here,” which formally discourages business dealings during the retreat.
The opening ceremony of each annual gathering is the “Cremation of Care” — a theatrical ritual held at the 30-foot concrete owl statue at the head of the lake. The statue was built in the late 1920s over a steel frame. Residents near Monte Rio have noted that the July retreat is identifiable by a visible spike in private jet traffic into Sonoma County.
For related coverage on elite American political networks and political controversy, see CruxBuzz’s ongoing coverage.
Bohemian Grove & Club — California
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A Bohemian Grove gathering, circa 1909 — “camps” have operated like fraternity sub-groups within the retreat since its early decades. | Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
How the 2023 List Got Out
Independent journalist Daniel Boguslaw described his method in detail. Here is each step, based on his own account — no infiltration, no disguise, just persistence.
From Going-Away Party to Global Intrigue
Tap any event to read the full detail — a factual timeline from 1878 to 2026.
The official Bohemian Club logo. The owl — symbolising wisdom — has been the club’s mascot since its founding. The motto “Weaving Spiders Come Not Here” formally discourages business dealings during the retreat. | Bohemian Club / Public record
Notable Names on the Alleged 2023 Roster
Filter by category. All entries are sourced from the published list and verified against public bios only. Camp names are as listed in the leaked document.
What People Actually Want to Know
Closure
This piece covered the Bohemian Club’s history, its 2,700-acre Sonoma County campground, the structure and rules of its invitation-only membership, and the 2023 camp roster published on journalist Daniel Boguslaw’s Substack following months of persistent contact with a San Francisco club member.
The approximately 2,200 names on the roster — spanning politics, business, technology, and culture — were examined alongside the club’s publicly available IRS Form 990 filings and the 1986 California court ruling that confirmed the club’s private status. Gregg Herken’s archival research in Brotherhood of the Bomb was referenced for the historically documented Manhattan Project overlap.
The investigation and the media influence angles surrounding the leak — including The Intercept’s decision not to publish — were covered as described by Boguslaw himself. The Bohemian Club spokesperson’s statement that the club does not disclose member or guest information was included as the club’s official position. No independent verification of individual camp assignments has been completed beyond what appears in the leaked document.
Primary Sources & Internal Links
