Televangelist Jim Bakker, who founded the PTL Club and later sold a product called Silver Solution on his television show, died Monday, October 5, 2026, at age 86, his family announced. His wife, Lori Bakker, wrote that her husband "finished his race with faith," WBTV reported. His son, Jay Bakker, also confirmed the death, and both asked for privacy. The family did not disclose a cause of death, and this article does not speculate about one.
His death draws renewed attention to a chapter of his later career that still matters to ordinary households: the 2020 promotion of a silver product as a defense against the coronavirus, claims that drew a federal warning and a state lawsuit. Colloidal silver products remain easy to buy and are still marketed for immunity and infections. The Tennessee Poison Center says these products offer no proven benefit when swallowed and can cause skin discoloration that often does not go away.
