Who was the most successful religious con artist in American history?

All great religious leaders are successful conmen, and all successful religions cause violence, so all I can say is whoever he was, his followers must have done a lot of Marching, Looting, and Killing.

I find it difficult to decide between Oral Roberts, Jerry Falwell or Billy Graham.

The ones who got caught up in scandals don't really qualify, but when you see the amount of money and power that was grabbed out of the thin air by people like Falwell you start to understand the game a bit.

I would say Joseph Smith Jr, but he was eventually killed by a lynch mob, so I can't really see that as being incredibly successful....

L. Ron Hubbard was so completely wasted on drugs, I'm not even sure that he created Scientology on purpose. I suspect it was the result of a bad acid trip.

Maybe Maharishi Mahesh Yogi?

It's a tossup between Joseph Smith, Jr. and L. Ron Hubbard.

properly, properly, properly...they do furnish people 'wish' and that they do bypass the series basket. Tithing is an substantial part of Christian coaching, isn't it? You do have a factor, even with the undeniable fact that, you have a tendency to state issues particularly bluntly at circumstances...

Joseph Smith.

Tempted to say Joe Smith the Mormon, but he was tarred and feathered once and then he was killed by an angry lynch mob, so I don't think that makes him successful. But Hubbard who concocted Scientology was pretty successful.

Rev. Jim Jones - he was able to convince his followers to commit the largest, mass suicide in history. He conned these gullible people out of their very lives.

The Roman Catholic Church.

It's richer than many countries, prohibits birth control and controls the minds of millions.

George W Bush