Zap to the future: What is ZAP doing now?

After the legal troubles and tabloid journalism of the 1980s, as I documented in my last article about ZAP, the furor around ZAP died down to barely a whisper. While the group claimed membership in the thousands, it's estimated that true numbers were much lower and, if it is still even running, it is likely limited to just the most hardcore believers these days.

So, going on nearly 50 years since John Eric Dalhoff had his revelation and became the John Ultimate that many hardly remember, who is keeping the flame of ZAP alive?

Joy/Mary Joy/Marjorie Dalhoff

For many, John Ultimate's wife was the first, or most likely only, person they met. Joy was often the one fielding media inquiries, making the rare comment to journalists, and running courses. However, Mary is equally an enigma, as no images of her exist save for a possible hit via flickr. As of a 2008 article by Martin Van Beynen, Mary had quit the Clyde Road property and was instead running courses out of a suite in The Heritage in Cathedral Square, Christchurch.

Mary and son Jens owned one of the two luxury penthouse suites with a company called Heritage Trustee Company Ltd, owned by Anne and Douglas Somers-Edgar. Douglas at one point was one of New Zealand's best-known financial advisers, who traveled New Zealand offering seminars and promoting himself with an hour-long advertorial on radio. But, in 2002, Somers-Edgar's business, Money Managers, got into a spot of bother with the Securities Commission and the Companies Office. Money Managers was sold to three other trustee companies in 2008, and the Somers-Edgar's interest in Heritage Trustee Company ceased in 2010. Heritage Trustee Company Ltd would go through several name changes before becoming the Heritage Trust Ltd. The Dalhoffs and Somers-Edgars were also co-shareholders of the company Commercial Property Investments Limited.

Mary is also currently listed as a Director and shareholder in multiple companies alongside her son, Jens Dalhoff, and other alleged ZAP followers. Oddly enough, the remaining Dalhoffs are co-shareholders in Zabium Group Limited with Steve Russell and his company, which is also called Heritage Trustee Company Ltd.

Given that Van Beynen's article was written 15 years ago, it is unclear if Mrs. Dalhoff is still offering courses - although she may have ensured its survival for the next few years by readmitting members her husband had kicked out.

Jens Dalhoff

While the Dalhoffs' son was not reported to be involved with ZAP, John did claim that Jens was the reincarnation of Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt, and that he had communicated with Holt's spirit to reassure him that he would be reincarnated as Jens. Jens is a part of many of the same business dealings as his mother and other alleged ZAP followers. Between 2008 and 2019, Jens was co-director of The Melba Group, which included successful Auckland cafe franchise Melba. In his mini bio for The Melba Group, Dalhoff obviously neglects to mention his Dad was a multimillionaire sect leader, and while his rise from fry boy to middle management is a far preferable career path than being the heir of a scientology knock-off, his rags-to-riches tale is a lot different than most of MacDonald's crew.

Dave Henderson

Controversial property developer Dave Henderson is, for all intents and purposes, more famous than ZAP itself, although everything he touches brings the ghost of ZAP's past back into the headlines. Henderson was part of one of several court arbitrations against ZAP business owners, when employees of Henderson's accused him of underpaying wages.

In the mid 1990s Henderson started a short lived radio station called Radio Liberty, as well as libertarian magazine Free Radical. However, Henderson was best known for his troubles with the IRD, which were immortalised in his book Be very afraid: One Man's Stand against the IRD, and a 2007 film, We're Here to Help.

In 2010, Henderson was placed into bankruptcy by the Christchurch High Court, following the collapse of the Property Venture Group, which was behind the failed Five Mile Project in Queenstown; at $142 million in personal debt, it was the largest bankruptcy in NZ's history, and third party claims added further complexity.

In 2011 another original ZAP member, Ian Hyndman, took on directorship of six companies owned by Henderson the day after Henderson declared bankruptcy. It was speculated that the penthouse apartment at the Heritage Hotel may need to be sold as the company that owned it, Principal Unit 60, went into liquidation. This penthouse suite was previously reported to be owned by Henderson's wife, and was next door to Mary Dalhoff.

In 2015, Henderson was charged with running a business while bankrupt and supplying false information to investigators. The investigation into Henderson's alleged activity cost the government $670,000 between 2014 and 2017. Those charges were halted, and the bankruptcy was lifted in 2015 with restrictions imposed until 2021. In 2019, Henderson faced further legal battles regarding Sol Square in Christchurch, an area heavily damaged by the Christchurch earthquake. Despite the rather slow path the government is taking to act against Henderson, and the toll it has taken on many parties, time has run out on Henderson's restrictions, and he is already back in the Director's seat.

Geoff Russell

Another original member of ZAP and TRIM, with brother Stephen, Russell also fell afoul with the courts around employee wages and his anti-union stance. It was the failure of his printing and advertising company which brought ZAP to the fore in the first place. Russell's main successful venture during this time was G N Russell, a leather goods company. I'm still working on confirming links between this Geoff Russell and the ACT party but, until then, consider the fact that maybe someone's love of ZAP can be a little on the nose.

But speaking of the ACT party…

Trevor Loudon

Loudon was the VP of ACT from 2006-2008, and has made no bones about his love of ZAP. Loudon is likely the devotee with the farthest reach, having shared platforms with Glenn Beck, Mike Huckabee, and Ted Cruz. He produced a movie, Enemies Within the Church, which criticised the Southern Baptist Convention as the source of marxism that is being propagated in the American church. He also maintains a website and blog, and seems to have branched out a bit from his traditional anti-communist stance to a more anti-muslim one. A particular project of Loudon's, Keywiki, which blacklists left-wing activists amongst other political posts, is the most problematic.

Loudon was identified as a mentor for Arizona republican Gabriela Saucedo Mercer, but given the aforementioned page is a scrap blog, some of the connections it makes are tenuous. For example, it claims that ACT for America is the American branch of Act New Zealand. While ACT for American overlaps with Loudon's personal interests, this group is solidly anti muslim, while ACT New Zealand is a traditional political party.

As always, I will update you all as I confirm more details about ZAP, its members, and their various political and business ventures.