Jim Bakker’s Net Worth: From Fame To Controversy

Jim Bakker, the American televangelist, minister, and television personality, has a net worth of $500,000. Once a household name as the host of the Christian television show The PTL Club, Bakker’s life and career have been marred by financial scandals, legal troubles, and controversial statements.

Early Life

Born on January 2, 1940, in Muskegon, Michigan, Jim Bakker was raised by his parents, Raleigh and Furnia. He attended North Central University, a Christian college in Minneapolis affiliated with the Assemblies of God, where he met his future wife, Tammy Faye LaValley. They married in 1961 and soon left college to pursue a life as traveling evangelists.

In 1966, the couple joined Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in Virginia, where they hosted a children’s show, Come On Over. Their success on CBN led Jim to host The 700 Club, a primetime talk show. After leaving CBN in 1972, Jim and Tammy co-founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) with Paul and Jan Crouch, although the partnership dissolved after just eight months.

The Rise of The PTL Club

In 1976, Jim and Tammy launched The PTL Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, a Christian talk show broadcast on the PTL Satellite Network. Over the years, the network expanded, airing religious programs across the country, and PTL’s headquarters, Heritage Village, grew into a massive enterprise. The couple also built Heritage USA, a Christian theme park in South Carolina, which became one of the most successful theme parks in the U.S. at the time.

Financial Misconduct

By the late 1970s, cracks began to show in Jim Bakker’s empire. In 1979, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched an investigation into PTL’s financial practices. It was discovered that Bakker had misused $350,000 raised for overseas missions, redirecting the funds to his theme park instead. An Internal Revenue Service (IRS) investigation later revealed that between 1980 and 1983, $1.3 million in PTL donations had been funneled to the personal expenses of Jim and Tammy. Adjusted for inflation, this amount is approximately $4 million today.

Despite these revelations, Bakker continued raising funds, claiming he was being persecuted unjustly. However, the most damaging scandal came in 1987 when it was revealed that Bakker, along with PTL co-host John Wesley Fletcher, had drugged and raped church secretary Jessica Hahn. Bakker used $300,000 in PTL funds to silence Hahn with hush money.

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These events led to Bakker’s resignation from PTL, and Reverend Jerry Falwell took over the ministry. Following a lengthy federal investigation, Bakker was indicted on multiple charges, including 15 counts of wire fraud, eight counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy. He was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison, with a $500,000 fine. However, his sentence was later reduced to eight years, and he was released on parole after serving nearly five years in 1994.

Return to Televangelism

In 2003, Jim Bakker made a surprising return to televangelism with The Jim Bakker Show, which aired out of Branson, Missouri. In his new show, Bakker distanced himself from the prosperity gospel he had once preached and instead embraced apocalyptic themes, promoting survivalist preparations for the end times. He also founded the Morningside Church in Blue Eye, Missouri, and reestablished the PTL ministry.

Controversies

In his later career, Jim Bakker has become known for promoting conspiracy theories and controversial statements. He claimed that Hurricane Harvey was divine punishment, accused former President Barack Obama of causing Hurricane Matthew, and even asserted that he had predicted the 9/11 attacks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bakker found himself in legal trouble once again after marketing colloidal silver supplements as a cure for the virus, a claim that was widely discredited.

Career as an Author

In addition to his television career, Bakker is also an accomplished author. His first book, Move That Mountain, was published in 1976, followed by Eight Keys to Success in 1980. After his release from prison, he penned I Was Wrong and Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse. His later works include The Refuge: The Joy of Christian Community in a Torn-Apart World and Time Has Come: How to Prepare Now for Epic Events Ahead.

Personal Life

Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker had two children together, Tammy Sue and Jamie Charles, before divorcing in 1992 following Jim’s conviction. In 1998, Bakker married former televangelist Lori Beth Graham just 50 days after meeting her. The couple later adopted five children in 2002, continuing their ministry as a family. Despite his numerous setbacks, Jim Bakker remains an enduring figure in the world of televangelism, though his influence is now marked by controversy as much as success.

Jim Bakker Net Worth

Jim Bakker net worth is $500,000.