Harold Camping Net Worth, Relationships, Age/Birthdate & Birthday

Harold Egbert Camping — A Life Cast in Prophecy, Media, and Millions

Born on July 19, 1921, in Boulder, Colorado, Harold Camping grew up in a devout Christian family whose roots traced back to Dutch immigrants. 

From Engineering Blueprint to Broadcasting Empire

Trained as a civil engineer, Camping earned his B.S. from University of California, Berkeley in 1942 at the height of World War II. After the war, he launched a construction business — reportedly building over eighty churches across the United States.

But a deeper calling beckoned. In 1958, Camping and partners acquired a radio station in the San Francisco Bay Area, laying the foundation for Family Radio. Under his stewardship, the network ballooned — at its zenith, it broadcast to more than 150 U.S. markets (and even international audiences via shortwave and multiple languages).

For decades, listeners tuned in to his nightly call-in show “Open Forum,” drawn by his calm, measured voice and Bible-driven answers. Many found in it a unique blend of rigorous theology and heartfelt evangelism — a radio ministry that seemed worlds apart from mainstream evangelical media.

The Prophetic Billions — Predictions, Donations, and Debate

Camping’s public fame ultimately stemmed not from construction or sermons — but from bold predictions of the End Times. His first major forecast targeted September 6, 1994. When that passed without incident he adjusted the date. 

The prophecy that truly shook public attention came in 2011. Camping declared that May 21, 2011, would usher in the “rapture” — a moment when the faithful would be taken up to heaven — followed by five months of catastrophe, culminating in world destruction on October 21, 2011.

To promote this vision, his ministry reportedly spent up to US $100 million on advertising and outreach, reaching believers around the globe. Many followers donated generously; some reportedly quit jobs, sold homes, or made drastic life changes in anticipation of the end times.

When May 21 came and went, Camping publicly acknowledged his error — suggesting perhaps a “spiritual” judgment had occurred, and re-confirmed October 21 as the true doomsday.  That, too, failed to materialize — and the fallout was swift. Followers felt betrayed; many abandoned the ministry. Media outlets, skeptical religious leaders, and casual observers alike widely labelled Camping a “false prophet.” 

Faith, Family, and Fallout

Camping wasn’t a solitary figure. He married Shirley Camping (née Vander Schuur) in 1943 — shortly after his graduation.  Together, they had seven children, a large brood that grounded him far from the rhetoric of prophecy.

Despite his public fame and the millions flowing through his ministry, Camping reportedly lived modestly. According to a profile reflecting on his life and bank of contributions, at the time of his death his net worth was estimated around US $75 million — derived largely from his long-term leadership of Family Radio and associated broadcasting assets. 

Still, the legacy of his final years was marked by sharp decline. After his 2011 predictions failed, many staff and supporters departed Family Radio; funding plunged; and the reach of the network contracted significantly.

The Final Chapter and the Measure of a Legacy

In June 2011, shortly after the failed doomsday predictions, Camping suffered a minor stroke — a blow from which his public ministry never recovered. On December 15, 2013, he passed away in Alameda, California. 

Even in death, Camping remains a figure of intrigue — a man who bridged mid-century engineering, evangelical ambition, and end-times prophecy. His story serves as cautionary tale: of the power of media, the allure of certainty, and the costs when expectations collapse.

His birthdate — July 19, 1921 — continues to show up in articles, memorials, and retrospectives that frame his life not only by the dates he predicted, but by the enduring impact of a man driven to interpret the Bible, broadcast to the world, and call countless souls to account.