Raised on "Beamers, Benzes and Bentleys": Costi Hinn Breaks From Benny Hinn, Calls Prosperity Gospel a "Scam"

Costi Hinn, the nephew of televangelist Benny Hinn, says he grew up inside a world of conspicuous wealth and eventually rejected the prosperity gospel his family preached. After working as his uncle's personal assistant and serving as a "catcher" at healing crusades, Costi says behind-the-scenes experience convinced him that most people were not actually healed and that donor appeals were tied to promises the ministry could not deliver.

Background and Upbringing

Hinn describes a childhood of luxury—"Beamers, Benzes, and Bentleys," a nearly 10,000-square-foot family home with an indoor hot tub, pool, steam room and sport court, and frequent high-end vacations to Hawaii and Europe. By high school he says he drove a Mercedes; by age 20 he owned an H2 Hummer with custom rims and wore an expensive Breitling watch. For years he believed his family's wealth was evidence of God's favor.

A young Costi Hinn with the H2 Hummer he drove at 20.Courtesy of Costi Hinn

Inside the Ministry

After high school, around 2003, Costi worked for Benny Hinn as a personal assistant. He says he traveled on a private plane, handled designer luggage, stayed in luxury hotels and helped at large crusades as a "catcher," lowering people who fell after prayers. Those close encounters with attendees prompted him to question the ministry's claims.

"What really got me was working for him and seeing everything behind the scenes and realizing nobody's really getting healed," Costi said in an interview with Business Insider.

Allegations, Responses and Investigations

Costi has publicly called the prosperity gospel a "scam" and now advocates for transparency in ministry. He says Benny Hinn Ministries once brought in more than $90 million a year at its peak. The ministry has faced scrutiny from media investigations (HBO and CBC), an IRS tax inquiry beginning in 2004, and a Senate Finance Committee staff review conducted during Sen. Chuck Grassley's oversight of televangelists—none of which resulted in criminal charges for Benny Hinn. Federal agents searched ministry offices in Texas in 2017, but the ministry has not been charged with a crime.

Faith healer Benny Hinn during his Miracle Crusade at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The board of Benny Hinn Ministries disputes Costi's account, saying his logistical role did not give him meaningful insight into healing services, fundraising or policies, and questions his motives—arguing he has benefited professionally from recounting his association with the ministry. Costi responds that if he had wanted money or fame he would have remained inside the organization.

Life After Leaving

Costi left Benny Hinn's operation in 2004. He says he spent more than a decade focusing on college, reexamining his faith and preparing for pastoral ministry before speaking publicly. Today he leads For The Gospel, an online Christian resource ministry that he says operates on a $700,000–$800,000 annual budget and files a Form 990 for transparency—something churches, including Benny Hinn Ministries, are generally not required to do. Costi has written books and regularly speaks about what he perceives as manipulation of vulnerable people seeking healing or financial relief.

Why It Matters

The dispute highlights broader debates about accountability, financial transparency and pastoral ethics in high-profile religious ministries. Supporters of Benny Hinn note his long career and global reach; critics, including Costi, call for clearer stewardship and caution against equating material wealth with divine favor.