William Branham’s Cadillac: The Myth of Poverty Versus Documented Wealth
William Branham carefully cultivated the image of a poor, self-denying evangelist who rejected wealth and luxury, including public claims that he would never accept a Cadillac. Contemporary documentation and organizational publications, however, show that Branham accumulated significant personal wealth and did in fact accept a Cadillac, exposing a clear contradiction between his rhetoric and his lived reality.
William Branham adopted the stage persona of a poor, humble evangelist from the hills of Kentucky, presenting himself as someone who refused to take offerings and appeared surprised each time financial support was collected for his ministry. In reality, Branham accumulated substantial personal wealth and enjoyed luxuries that were far beyond the reach of most of his followers. According to a letter by Sarah Branham titled Take It With You, William Branham had amassed 3,244,321[1], an amount equivalent to approximately $27,725,555.29 in 2021.[2] Among the luxuries he owned was an expensive Cadillac, a fact that stood in direct contradiction to repeated statements made through his carefully maintained stage persona.
In 1947, William Branham was sponsored by the Kardashian family for a healing revival, with Avak Hagopian assisting in efforts related to the reported healing of Krikor Arlelian’s son. Others involved in the revival included Demos Shakarian, the nephew of Tatos Kardashian and the founder of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International, an organization that continued to sponsor Branham well after 1947. According to Branham’s own account, members of the family attempted to gift him a Cadillac, which he claimed to have refused on ethical grounds. He stated, "Not me, brother, that don’t run in my blood to do that".
And here, some time ago somebody wanted to give me a Cadillac car. And I said, "Do you mean to tell me that I have..." I said, "Brother, I'm glad you got one." One said, "We just gave Avak one; why not give you one?" I said, "Look, brother, you mean to tell me that I'd go down through Arkansas, and some of them poor little women out there pulling that cotton sack, and their back broke, and eating fat bacon, perhaps, and--and corn meal for breakfast, and say, 'There goes Brother Branham,' going down the street out there in a Cadillac car?" I said, "Not me, brother. That don't run in my blood to do that." No, sir. If I got what I deserved, I'd ride a bicycle or be walking if it was going through there. No, that's right, brother. But it's all right now, any of you's got a Cadillac, I ain't saying nothing against a Cadillac, but that's just... That's for you. See? All right.
Branham, William. 1952, August 17. Expectancy
Despite these public claims, the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International later published an article in its newsletter that included a description and photographs of a celebration in which William Branham was presented with a Cadillac,[3] along with his acceptance of the vehicle. While Branham’s stage persona continued to emphasize personal poverty and ethical refusal of such gifts, the documented record shows that the Cadillac was one of several expensive automobiles he owned during his ministry.