Most people have likely already heard of the Christian pastor, Joel Osteen, but the recent attempted mass shooting at his Lakewood Church has brought his name into the headlines once more. However, Osteen has been pretty well known for a long time, as a pastor, he is up there with Kenneth Copeland and Jim Bakker, and he’s just as controversial.
He’s the epitome of the phrase “do as I say not as I do” as he preaches the teachings of Jesus whilst taking his followers’ money for himself. As you can imagine, he’s made a lot of money from all the people who believe in him, but is he the richest pastor in the world?
How much money does Joel Osteen have?
There’s no sugarcoating it; Joel Osteen is filthy rich. His home is reported to be worth around $15 million dollars. On top of that, the man owns a private jet AND a yacht, so you really can’t blame people for thinking he’s the richest pastor in the world. Reports regarding Osteen’s net worth vary wildly with some claiming it’s around $50 million in 2020 which is already an insane amount, however, according to celebrity net worth, it could now be much closer to $100 million!
This would make him a strong contender for one of the richest pastors in the world, but he is far from being the richest pastor in the world. That title belongs to Kenneth Copeland who is worth at least $300 million if not more! Next in line we have David Oyedepo, Nigeria’s richest pastor who’s worth $150 million. This means Osteen is about the third richest pastor in the world currently.
Where did Joel Osteen’s money come from?
The controversial televangelist preaches a recent conservative movement in Christianity known as the ‘Prosperity Gospel’ which pretty much promises followers that they can transcend their poverty through devotion to God. Of course, this devotion requires people to donate their hard-earned cash to Osteen’s church. As you can imagine, with the influence he has, the Lakewood church brings in a lot of money for him, according to IndyStar it’s estimated that it makes $43 million a year in collections, although he claims he doesn’t get paid by the church.
He also makes plenty of money from his book sales as well as his radio show and public speaking events. And, of course, Osteen isn’t against taking handouts from the government either; in 2020 he took over $4 million in Covid relief funds. That’s only a drop in the ocean compared to how much money he has, but it could have been a lifeline to a smaller business struggling through a global pandemic.
Osteen might preach Christianity but he seems more like a businessman at heart, he has multiple streams of income and he seems borderline predatory with his practices. All of this has served to make him one of the richest pastors in the world, and he’s only getting richer, who knows, maybe in a few years he’ll overtake Kenneth Copeland!