Here's How Much Money Joel Osteen Is Actually Worth
You don't have to be a religious person to know Houston-based televangelist Joel Osteen is one of the wealthiest mega pastors in the United States. We won't drop any numbers just yet, but let's just say his net worth rivals the income of well-known celebrities. And speaking of famous people, Osteen's glitzy life became a hot topic of conversation after rapper Kanye West held his popular Sunday Service (a "weekly Christian gathering" of sorts, as Fader noted) at Osteen's very own church in November 2019. Although Osteen can brush shoulders with anyone he wants to, it's arguably unusual for your average religious figure to hang out with a musician reportedly worth a cool $250 million.
But Lakewood Church's senior pastor is anything but ordinary. In fact, he was a TV producer before following in his father John Osteen's footsteps. It was John, along with his wife Dodie Osteen, who founded the Lakewood Church in 1959 and built it into a massive presence with approximately 6,000 congregants and "a weekly television program, which could be seen in 100 countries worldwide," per the church's history page. Joel simply grabbed the ball after John's passing in 1999 and ran with it — and you you might be floored to find out lucrative that's actually been for him.
Ready to explore Joel Osteen's jaw-dropping net worth? Hold on to your bibles, because this is one wild ride.
Joel Osteen is blessed millions of times over
Throughout the years, Joel Osteen has faced criticism for his massive net worth, as it's abnormally large for a pastor. That's because, as of May 2018, the median annual income for clergy members in the United States hovers around $48,990, according to the U.S. Bureau Labor of Statistics. So how much cash is in Osteen's treasure chest? Celebrity Net Worth estimates the pastor is sitting on a cool $100 Million. Wowza.
Osteen's impressive net worth gave him the ability to purchase a $10.5 million mansion in the Houston area, without having to unload the $2.9 million home they were already living in first, according to CultureMap Houston. The new digs reportedly include six bedrooms, three elevators, six bathrooms, and five fireplaces. But wait — that's not all. It also boasts a one-bedroom guest house and a luxurious pool, which are very nice perks. But best of all, it's more than enough room for Osteen, his wife, Victoria Osteen, and their two kids, Alexandra, and Jonathan.
Osteen has no qualms about enjoying his wealth, telling Oprah Winfrey in 2012, "I don't try to be slick ... We just feel that this is God's blessings. You know, we're big givers. We live what we preach. We've given millions of dollars. I don't think there's anything wrong with having a nice place to live and being blessed."
The truth behind Joel Osteen's fortune
Now that we've revealed Joel Osteen's net worth, you might be wondering: how did he manage to rake in all this dough? Well, he doesn't receive a $200,000 salary from Lakewood church anymore, explaining to The Christian Post in 2013, "This way I can say I don't do any of this for money." But it appears Osteen is motivated by money to some degree, or why would write multiple best-selling books? And regarding these books, he sold "more than three million hardcover copies" of his 2004 work, Your Best Life Now, "along with more than one million copies of associated journals, daily devotionals and study guides," according to The New York Times. As for his 2007 book, A Better You, Osteen reportedly signed a publishing deal allowing him to "receive 50 percent of the publisher's profit on sales," according to the NYT. This is a very lucrative deal, as it's supposedly typical for authors to earn a "royalty rate set at 15 percent of the cover price of each book sold," as the NYT noted.
Osteen's last book, The Power of Favor, was published in 2019, and he also produced a bunch of other works in between. Additionally, Osteen possibly brings in anywhere from $100,000 to $200,000 per speaking engagement, according to the booking website All American Speakers. But don't think the negotiation of a lucrative book deal stems from greed. As Osteen told Oprah, "Money should never be the focus of your life. If that's all you're doing, that's shallow. You should — it should be a blessing to others."
Do you think it's a tad sketchy to own a mansion with almost enough elevators for your family members to each have one while you simultaneously call focusing on money "shallow?" Then you might be interested in some other shady aspects of the mega preacher's life.