US televangelist Jim Bakker has passed away at the age of 86, as announced by his second wife, Lori Bakker, on Monday. Bakker, who built a multimillion-dollar media empire, was previously jailed for fraud and conspiracy.
Early Career and Rise to Fame
In 1974, Bakker and his then-wife Tammy Faye founded a Christian television program called The PTL Club. At its peak, the show attracted 13 million viewers per day, solidifying Bakker's status as a prominent figure in Christian television.
Downfall and Legal Troubles
By the late 1980s, Bakker's empire began to crumble amid a sex scandal. He was convicted of mail and wire fraud in 1989, resulting in a prison sentence of over four years. The scandal began with revelations of a 1980 sexual encounter with former church secretary Jessica Hahn, who later received a $265,000 payoff from ministry funds. Bakker was defrocked of his ministerial credentials following these events.
