33. PETER POPOFF Earnings Go Up To $100 million
Fraudulent faith healer and self-proclaimed prophet Peter Popoff is a German-born American televangelist. In the 1980s he hosted a show performing seemingly miraculous cures on audience members and in 1986 an electronics expert demonstrated that his “divine” revelations were being fed to him by his wife via a wireless radio transmitter. Despite being exposed once again in 2007 Popoff continues to offer his Russian “Miracle Spring Water” on late-night infomercials in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Respondents get multiple solicitation letters requesting donations in exchange for miracles and are promised financial prosperity and miraculous protection from disease and disability. Many of Popoff’s victims have been interviewed by media accusing Popoff of taken “thousands of dollars” from them. Popoff’s ministry changed from a for-profit business to a religious organization in 2006, making it tax-exempt and in 2007 he purchased a home in Bradbury, California, for $4.5 million, a Porsche and a Mercedes-Benz.
