# American Heartland | God Told Me to Build a Theme Park

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/things-i-learned-last-night-638064/american-heartland-god-told-me-to-build-a-theme-park
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/things-i-learned-last-night-638064/american-heartland-god-told-me-to-build-a-theme-park.md
Podcast: [Things I Learned Last Night](https://stenobird.com/podcast/things-i-learned-last-night-638064)
Published: 2026-05-26T09:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://tilln.com/heartland
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/s.gum.fm/s-611d6f3ee531d50024d031d8/p.podderapp.com/9287262048/op3.dev/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/MMTAE1457284381.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/things-i-learned-last-night-638064/episodes/american-heartland-god-told-me-to-build-a-theme-park
Duration seconds: 4059

## Resource

Discover the shocking true story behind the American Heartland theme park scam that bilked millions from an unsuspecting billionaire. This tale of greed, fake emails from 'God,' and massive construction fraud will leave you stunned. In this deep dive, we investigate the rise and fall of the American Heartland theme park, a project that promised to bring a massive, world-class attraction to Vinita, Oklahoma. What began as a grand vision for a 1,000-acre resort quickly spiraled into a complex web of deception, elder abuse, and financial ruin. We unravel how a group of schemers manipulated an elderly billionaire, Gene Bicknell, by allegedly impersonating God through email to siphon away his life savings. From the bizarre 'triune concept' used to gain control over his assets to the exploitation of local town officials and construction firms, this video exposes the dark side of speculative development. Whether you're interested in true crime, business scams, or the reality behind failed theme park projects, this breakdown offers an eye-opening look at how easily trust can be weaponized for cold, hard cash. Join us as we piece together the court documents, the timeline of the fraud, and the tragic fallout for everyone involved in this incredible, real-life corporate thriller. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: https://tilln.com…

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