In 2013, Damon Lawner was a million dollars in debt, living in his mother-in-law’s house, and barely able to support his wife and two daughters. A few years later, he was running the most elite—and expensive—sex club in the world, Snctm. Inspired by the infamous masked orgy scene from Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 Eyes Wide Shut, and using Facebook to fundraise, Lawner founded Sanctum, a black-tie, masquerade events company promising debauchery and sexual freedom and catered to Hollywood’s rich and famous. Clientele for the wildly popular new club included billionaires, celebrities, and politicians, some of whom paid up to $425,000 for a membership. In a new podcast hosted by Karley Sciortino, the writer of Vogue’s popular “Breathless” column, Lawner, his wife, and club employees share their side of the story. Raunchy and entertaining but also philosophical, Sanctum Unmasked asks both subjects and listeners to consider what happens when personal freedom is pursued beyond the limits of societal expectation, and whether the gain is ultimately worth the cost. —Paulina Prosnitz
The Arts Intel Report
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
Sanctum Unmasked
![](https://photos.airmail.news/aenr3mzabbgzxiqvp2qdre0rk0kn-f6c4833cfc387840b81b56adac5d240f.jpeg)
Podcast host Karley Sciortino.