Joel Osteen Net Worth: Pastor Gets No Church Salary But Earns Millions Per Year

Joel Osteen’s net worth is around $100 million.

The televangelist is the pastor of Lakewood Church. He has been the pastor of Lakewood Church since his father died in 1999. Osteen is credited for bringing the church closer to the homes of its followers. He introduced the television programs and produced his father’s episodes. Under his watch, the number of churchgoers skyrocketed from 5,000 to at least 40,000.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, the 57-year-old American pastor made it possible that their broadcast can now be seen in 100 countries worldwide. It is now one of the biggest churches in the world, with over 50,000 members attending weekly and viewers. The increase in followers came after Lakewood bought Compaq Center. It can house up to 56,000 people and the cost of renovations totaled $105 million.

Aside from being a pastor, Osteen is also a best-seller author. His two books, “Your Best Life Now" and "Become A Better You," have been big hits; the former stayed on top of New York Times Best Seller list for 200 weeks while the latter sold four million copies. He has written 15 books so far and it serves as another venue for him to make some money via royalties and ticket sales from U.S. tours.

Osteen claims he is not receiving salary from his church. But he lives in a mansion in Houston suburbs that carries a price tag of $10.5 million. The property features six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a pool house and a guest house, among others. Per IndyStar, the charismatic pastor does not see the need for a salary but admits there is nothing wrong living in a nice house. The lifestyles of televangelists are often scrutinized since others see it as borderline excessive but for Osteen, the key is sincerity and always giving back to the community.

He drew flak in August 2017 in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Others have wondered why he did not donate to the survivors or offered temporary shelter in the Lakewood Church for the displaced. In a report published by Heavy, Osteen did offer prayers during that time.

And now his leadership is being tested again as a pandemic is crippling not only the economy but also halting mass gatherings. The Lakewood Church has since opted to hold online services only. This means they would not be holding in-person congregations in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19. However, a star-studded Easter service is being prepared and will reportedly feature Kanye West, Tyler Perry and Mariah Carey. All of them will be performing remotely in observance of social distancing, Click 2 Houston reports.