▁ ▁He ▁went ▁bank rupt ▁the ▁next ▁year , ▁but ▁made ▁a ▁com eb ack ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 2 0 0 0 s , ▁Pop off ▁bought ▁TV ▁time ▁to ▁promote ▁" M i racle ▁Spring ▁Water " ▁on ▁late - night ▁inf omer ci als , ▁and ▁referred ▁to ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁proph et . ▁Business ▁Ins ider ▁remarked , ▁" No ▁matter ▁how ▁many ▁times ▁his ▁claims ▁are ▁deb unk ed , ▁he ▁seems ▁to ▁b ounce ▁back ▁with ▁another ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁old ▁sc am ." ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁career ▁Pop off ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁occupied ▁Berlin ▁( West ▁Berlin ) ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁to ▁George ▁and ▁Ger da ▁Pop off . ▁As ▁a ▁child , ▁Pop off ▁em igr ated ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁he ▁attended ▁Ch aff ey ▁College ▁before ▁transfer ring ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Santa ▁Barbara , ▁from ▁which ▁he ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁ ▁Pop off ' s ▁father ▁pre ached ▁at ▁rev ival ▁meet ings ▁throughout ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁Pop off ▁also ▁began ▁making ▁appearances ▁as ▁a ▁pre acher . ▁ ▁Bil led ▁as ▁" The ▁Mi racle ▁Boy ▁Evangel ist " ▁in ▁print ▁advert is ements , ▁the ▁ad s ▁also ▁claimed ▁he ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁a ▁West