In response to this thread. I've put forward the argument that I believe that the 'organization' is financially effectively bleeding itself dry - it is actually financially imploding.
I believe that over the last 45 or so years, in particular, it has evolved from a relatively 'lean machine' into what is now a huge unwieldy organization
As an organization grows I would expect increased efficiency through by both economies of scale, and advances in technology.
How has the Watchtower organization fared?...
In 1964 there was one Bethelite for every 686 publishers
In 2015 there was one Bethelite for every 307 publishers
Even with the increased language translation, how can an effective 123% increase in the WT's workforce be justified?
Side note - interesting that there is now a kind of reduction in languages with the WT's withdrawal of the Study WT in simplified French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, effective from May/June 2017.
Letter December 28, 2016 - Re: One Study Edition of The Watchtower in Languages Other Than English
To bring staffing levels down to the 'efficiency' of the mid-1960's - WT needs to lay-off 14,368 Bethelites
They're closing and selling off Branch Offices?
Yes, from a peak during 2009 of 118 Branch Offices down to 89 during 2015. That's a substantial 25% reduction, but most were relatively small Branches, and guess what?... over the same time, the number of actual Bethelites increased by 31%, from 19,829 up to 26,011 - ha! ha! work that one out!
Of course, it is true, Bethelites are now being laid-off - but how many? Well, we await the 2017 Yearbook when I'll update the following chart....
Side note - Nathan Knorr was WT President from 1942 through to 1977 when Fred Franz took over.