How much is Jim Bakker worth?
| Net Worth: | $400 Thousand |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Televangelist |
| Date of Birth: | January 2, 1940 (age 83) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m) |
About Jim Bakker
Jim Bakker, whose real name is James Orsen Bakker, is an American author, entrepreneur, televangelist, and convinced fraudster. From 1974 to 1989, he hosted the television program “The PTL Club” alongside his then-wife Tammy Faye. Since the late 1980s, his name was a hot topic in the media as he resigned from the ministry over a cover-up of hush money.
It is estimated, that Bakker has earned income equal to a salary of $70,000 per year since 2019.
Jim Bekker is famous for his work on “The P.T.L. Club” among many other series. He was born on January 2, 1940, in Muskegon, Michigan. He is the only son of Raleigh and Furnia Bakker. During his childhood, he spent most of his time in the Michigan area. In the 1960s, he attended the Bible College affiliated with the Assemblies of God – North Central University, where he met his future wife Tammy Faye LaValley.
Before he rose to prominence and became a televangelist or television personality, James worked odd jobs to support himself. His first was being a waiter and bartender at a restaurant based in the Young-Quinlan department store in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He married Tammy in April of 1961 and the two then decided to leave college and become evangelists. The couple has two children from their marriage – Tammy and Jamie Charles. James developed the name Jim and legally changed his name in his mid-twenties. In March 1992, the couple divorced. Later that decade, he married Lori Beth Graham (who is a former televangelist) and by the next decade, they have adopted five children.
Being an evangelist and associating himself with many networks including Trinity Broadcasting Network and Christian Broadcasting Network is how this controversial star became a millionaire. Starting in 1966, Jim and Tammy signed a contract with CBN, which at the time had a small audience in the low thousands. The couple contributed to the growth and wealth of the network with their numerous television commercials and short films, that also earned them an estimated $50,000.
In April that year, they helped make the infamous “The 700 Club” become a company staple. Shortly after that, the Bakkers directed, produced, and presented their own variety show “The Jim and Tammy Show”, later renamed “The PTL Club”. The series aired form 1974 to 1989 and is the main reason why Jim Bakker is so rich now. From the show alone, he was able to accumulate an estimated $1.5 million, with the viewer contributions are estimated to be $1 million per month. Apart from his own show, Jim also made his first appearance on an acclaimed reality – the series “Sassy Jessy Raphael”.
He also developed Heritage USA, a now-defunct Christian theme park in Fort Mill, South Carolina.
What makes Jim Bakker so successful are the many scandals and controversies that he’s been affiliated with ever since the late years of the 20th century. Just a few months after his show had ended and he divorced Tammy Faye, he began working as a televangelist in many shows such as “Not Necessarily the News”, “Murphy Brown”, and “Primetime”.
Around the same time, he began facing accusations of rape by Jessica Hahn who had been employed as a church secretary, according to Wikipedia. In the late 1980s, Bakker was succeeded as PTL head by the pastor Jerry Falwell.
Between 1984 and 1987, the televangelist was involved in another scandal, according to Wikipedia. Alongside his PTL associated, he sold over an estimated $1,000 “lifetime memberships” and from his illegal work with the company Heritage USA, he earned an estimated $3.5 million. After a federal grand jury probe that lasted 16 months, in 1988, he was indicted on eight counts of mail and 15 counts of wire fraud. He was then sentenced to 45 years in federal prison and was imposed a $500,000 fine.
He was paroled in July 1994 and was released from the FBP (Federal Bureau of Prisons) in December 1994, owing more than $6 million to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). Since then, he has been working on several television projects and books such as “The Jim Bakker Show”, “I Was Wrong”, and “Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse”.
Summing-Up
Jim Bakker is a controversial public figure that’s known for his work as a televangelist. Ever since the 1960 when his career began, the author of five books and host of “The PTL Club”. As of 2023, Jim Bakker’s net worth is estimated to be $400 thousand.
