Son of Southern Baptist pastor John Osteen and Dolores Pilgrim, Joel Osteen, inherited the Lakewood church where his father would perform on television programs, spreading the gospel. After taking over his father’s position, Osteen expanded the reach of his Lakewood church by acquiring new estates to construct better platforms to reach more people. Along with being a preacher, his best-selling books have also earned him millions through royalties. His 2005 book Become A Better You earned him $13 million by selling 4 million copies worldwide. He has written 15 books throughout his career and continues preaching at sold-out stadiums.
Since taking over his father’s spot, Joel Osteen has seen an exponential rise in his fortune and amassed $100 million over the years. While the pastor does not take a salary from the church, he makes a sizable income through his sources. Let’s look at how Joel Osteen spends his massive $100 million net worth.
8 Former Sports Stadium
Through his Lakewood Church, Joel Osteen acquired the basketball stadium owned by the NBA team Houston Rockets. According to the New York Times, his group spent $75 million to add a five-story complex and expand 200,000 square feet of space. After completing the renovations, which took over 15 months, more than 56,000 people attended the opening ceremony, including established politicians like Nancy Pelosi and Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas.
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7 Clothing
A post shared by Joel Osteen (@joelosteen)
As someone who appears on television, stadiums, and social media channels, Joel Osteen is always dressed in bespoke suits. While there is no indication that he purchases from high-end brands like Prada or Gucci, the pastor looks his best in front of live audiences, and his suits and accessories often always have a regal feel.
6 Houston Home
Life as a successful pastor also comes with several luxuries, including living in lavish homes. Osteen and his wife Victoria purchased an expensive home in 2010 for $10.5 million. Located in the suburbs of Houston, the mansion has 17,000 square feet of living space and is now estimated to be worth $15 million, as noted by Celebrity Net Worth. The River Oaks home has six bedrooms, six bathrooms, three elevators, one guesthouse, and five open-wood fireplaces.
5 Plastic Surgery
A post shared by Joel Osteen (@joelosteen)
With a massive following that watches his every move, Joel Osteen remains never-aging. The televangelist has been rumored to have undergone plastic surgery, including Botox, and getting fillers as viewers have compared his face from his youth and as seen today. As plastic surgery has become common, it is believed that Osteen also had cosmetic enhancements, but the preacher has neither accepted nor denied the claims.
4 Expensive Car Collection
Joel Osteen has never shied away from admitting his luxurious life. While there was a detailed discussion about his expenses, Osteen came under heavy scrutiny after it was reported that he purchased a Ferrari 458 Italia worth $325,000. As mentioned by The Things, in July 2021, several photos surfaced on Twitter claiming that that pastor was seen driving a silver/black Ferrari down the streets of Houston. It caused an uproar on social media, and whether he owns the car remains unconfirmed.
3 Private Jet Voyages
Televangelists and priests are known for their lavish purchases of private jets as they need to travel to multiple locations to spread the gospel and speak to the public. Joel Osteen reportedly owns one of the priciest jets, a $68 million Airbus A319. The charter plane was first manufactured in 1994 and used by various notable airlines, including Delta, American Airlines, and United.
2 Hurricane Harvey Relief
2017 was a challenging year for Houston when Hurricane Harvey hit the streets, rendering many people homeless. Osteen and his church opened their doors to let people take shelter and helped 1,150 families while allowing 2,500 volunteers to help and donating $1.1 million. Osteen helped the families in the case of emergency and was commemorated by the mayor. Along with his expenses, Tyler Perry also lent a helping donation and gave $250,000 to Lakewood Church to aid the people, as stated by the Washington Post.
1 Shopping
A post shared by Joel Osteen (@joelosteen)
Joel Osteen and his wife Victoria are known to be shopaholics as they want to look their best selves in front of a large live audience. During an interview with People magazine, the pastor mentioned that he often cracked at his wife’s expense over her spending habits and love for shopping. Later, the pastor also admitted that he loved to make expensive purchases for himself too.
Joel Osteen has also spent millions on buying a home in Tanglewood worth $3 million. While the pastor was also rumored to own a private yacht, the rumors were later debunked. The pastor has never hesitated to show off his lavish lifestyle and live his best while helping people worldwide.
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Sources: New York Times, Celebrity Net Worth, The Things, Washington Post
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