15. Jimmy Swaggart
At his peak, Swaggart pulled in $150 million a year. This was in the 1980s. Those were the salad days for old Jimmy, long before his fall from grace. Ordained in the 1950s, Swaggart quickly established himself as a charismatic speaker. He could also sing and play the piano. He started in radio, but moved into television, hosting a weekly telecast, which aired on more than 200 networks. Despite a small hiccup in the ‘80s and ‘90s over accusations of sex scandals involving prostitutes, Swaggart recovered. Today, 22 of his family members draw a reported $350,000 a year as employees of his ministries.
14. Charles Stanley
If Paul Cain’s start at age 18 was impressive, get this: Charles Stanley started working as a minister at age 14. He obtained his Master’s of Divinity, then a Th.M and Th.D. in theology. By 1969, Stanley was a senior pastor at age 39. In 1972, he started a TV program called The Chapel Hour. Within six years it went national. His salary is somewhere north of $125,000, but his In Touch Ministries make around $70 million a year, probably more. Regarding his success, Stanley credits the book, “Think and Grow Rich,” which he applied to every aspect of his life.