(Photo: David Cerullo, president of The Inspirational Network)
The Inspirational Network’s latest Form 990 Information Return is filled with bombshells for anyone interested in following the money of religious and secular TV broadcasting. Two bombshells stand out: Extravagant compensation for executives and massive assets buried in fine print.
David Cerullo, CEO of The Inspirational Network which operates the western-themed INSP cable TV channel (religious programming airs in the middle of the night), is ranked as one of America’s highest paid religious non-profit CEOs.
In 2022, Cerullo received $9 million in compensation, doubling the income he received in 2021.
In 15 years, from 2008 through 2022, David Cerullo received $59 million in compensation from The Inspirational Network and related organizations.
For four consecutive years David Cerullo has ranked at the top of MinistryWatch’s annual list of highly paid ministry executives.
David Cerullo’s wife Barbara and son Benjamin also appear on the MinistryWatch list by serving as executives at The Inspirational Network.
The following screenshot shows 2022 compensation for the three Cerullo family members. The total compensation paid to the Cerullos for 2022 is $11,116,432.
By comparing compensation reported in 2021, shown in the screenshot below, it is clear that Benjamin Cerullo’s compensation also doubled and Barbara Cerullo’s compensation dramatically increased.
David Cerullo also serves as president of Morris Cerullo World Evangelism (MCWE) which was founded by his father. MCWE does not file a Form 990 as it claims to be a church. Therefore, it is unknown if MCWE also pays David Cerullo a salary.
The second highest paid executive at The Inspirational Network is general counsel and corporate secretary Dale Ardizzone who was paid $3,227,671 in 2022.
Most compensation for Ardizzone and David and Barbara Cerullo come from related organizations of The Inspirational Network.