Joel Osteen, the American evangelist and pastor, is famed as a religious figure and writer. Known for his best-selling books and weekly services on television, Osteen is now one of the richest pastors.

As of 2024, Joel Osteen’s net worth is estimated at over $100 million.

Osteen is widely recognized for being the Lakewood Church pastor in Houston, Texas. Over the years, he has become a controversial figure in religion due to his advocacy of the so-called “prosperity gospel.”

Joel Osteen accumulates wealth from book royalties and book sales, speaking fees, merchandise sales, and more. Read on to learn more about his story and fortune.

How Much is Joel Osteen Worth in 2024?

  • Joel Osteen’s net worth in 2024 is estimated at over $100 million.
  • He is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, advocating for the “prosperity gospel.”
  • Osteen’s wealth comes from book sales, speaking fees, and merchandise, not his pastoral salary.
  • His best-selling books and televised sermons have a massive global reach.
  • Despite controversies, he remains a prominent figure in modern evangelicalism.

Joel Osteen’s Net Worth Breakdown:

Joel Osteen’s personal wealth is growing by millions every year, which shouldn’t come as a surprise for such an influential and prominent figure.

Based on our research, he hasn’t taken any salary from Lakewood Church for decades, but his other investments and income sources have allowed him to sustain an extravagant lifestyle for himself.

While doing research, we came across mentions of assets like a private jet or expensive cars, but we haven’t been able to confirm that the pastor of Lakewood Church currently owns any of these.

After thorough research, we created a list of his main assets that contribute to the impressive net worth of over $100 million.

Asset or Income Source Contribution to Net Worth
Lakewood Church pastor salary $0
Book sales and speaking fees $55 million per year
Speaking engagement fee per appearance $100,000-$200,000
Become a Better You book advances and royalties $13 million
Real estate $13.5 million
Total Net Worth $100 million

5 Fun Facts About Pastor Joel

  1. Osteen dropped out of Oral Roberts University after a year.
  2. He founded Lakewood’s TV program to broadcast his father’s sermons.
  3. Lakewood Church has a weekly attendance of 45,000 people.
  4. Osteen reportedly earns $55 million yearly from books and speaking engagements.
  5. His home in River Oaks, Houston, is worth $10.5 million.

Latest News & Controversies

In 2024, Joel Osteen continues to be a highly influential yet controversial figure. His public persona has recently faced backlash on several fronts.

One major controversy that resurfaced this year is criticism of his luxurious lifestyle.

Osteen, known for preaching the “prosperity gospel,” which links faith to financial blessings, was roasted online after he tweeted about the importance of appreciating “the simple things in life.” Many users pointed out the irony of his message, given his immense wealth, including multimillion-dollar mansions and expensive cars, such as a $350,000 Ferrari. This incident sparked widespread criticism on social media, where people accused him of being out of touch with the struggles of average people.

Additionally, past controversies, such as his handling of Lakewood Church’s response during Hurricane Harvey and the church’s receipt of $4.4 million in federal PPP loans during the COVID-19 pandemic, have continued to fuel negative public sentiment. Despite this, Osteen maintains a strong following, with his books and televised sermons reaching millions globally.

Early Life and Family

Joel Scott Osteen was born in Houston, Texas, on March 5, 1963. He grew up in a family of six children, with parents Dolores Pilgrim and John Osteen. His father, John, was a former Southern Baptist pastor who started Lakewood Church in the back of an old feed store. After his father’s passing, Joel Osteen took on the role of senior pastor at the non-denominational Lakewood Church.

Young Joel graduated from Humble High School, a public school in Humble, Texas. Following his graduation in 1981, he attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa to study radio and television communications. He never graduated from the university, though, dropping out soon after.

In 1982, Osteen returned to Houston to found Lakewood’s TV program. This was the beginning of his career in religion, producing televised sermons for his father for 17 years from this point on.

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John Osteen passed away from a heart attack in January 1999, so Joel’s role as a producer of his televised sermons stopped here and was replaced with his new role as the church’s pastor.

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In 1987, Osteen married Victoria Illoff (now Osteen). Joel and Victoria Osteen have two children, Jonathan and Alexandra Osteen, and Victoria is the co-pastor of Lakewood Church.

Joel Osteen Net Worth: The Pastor Doesn’t Earn a Dime from His Role at the Church

As we discussed, Osteen left school to return home and assist his father, guided by his faith. He started Lakewood’s TV program for his father, which showcased his sermons on television. After John Osteen passed away in 1999, Joel stepped into his role as a televangelist and pastor, drawing on the knowledge he gained from working with his father for 17 years.

Joel Osteen as the Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church

Osteen was ordained through Lakewood Church in 1983. He preached his very first sermon in January of 1999 and, by October 3, he was the senior pastor at the church.

The church has grown tremendously under Osteen.

These days, it is the third-largest mega-church in the United States with a weekly attendance of 45,000 people. The televised sermons are further seen by over 10 million people weekly, across over 100 different countries.

In 2003, Lakewood Church acquired the former home of the NBA Houston Rockets basketball team, the Compaq Center, for $7.5 million.

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When the renovations were completed, the grand opening hosted 56,000 people, including famous guests such as Rick Perry, the Governor of Texas, and Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House.

Even though he holds no formal degree and had little experience when he became a pastor, Joel Osteen honed his preaching skills by watching his father over the years. He is now a leader of the prosperity gospel, which believes that God wants his followers to be healthy and wealthy.

He has publicly disclosed his preaching style over the years, telling people that he memorizes the remarks before delivering them and listens to the previous ones on tape. His focus is on the goodness of God, attempting to teach biblical principles more simply, talking about positive attitude and love.

In 2006, he made it onto Barbara Walter’s list of 10 Most Fascinating People, and in 2010, he and his family were invited to join President Barack Obama for the Easter breakfast at the White House.

The Hurricane Harvey Response and Criticism

As a pastor, Joel Osteen has avoided preaching about highly controversial issues such as abortion, politics, or gay marriage. Even so, his career hasn’t been one without controversies.

One of the biggest controversies was the one during Hurricane Harvey.

During the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the pastor was criticized for not making Lakewood Church available to people displaced by the storm as a shelter.

He defended not opening the church’s door to Harvey victims soon after, sharing pictures from the church, which he said had experienced flooding at the time.

“We have never closed our doors. We will continue to be a distribution center for those in need,” he shared. “We are prepared to shelter people once the cities and county shelters reach capacity. Lakewood will be a value to the community in the aftermath of this storm in helping our fellow citizens rebuild their lives.”

A few days later, it was announced that Lakewood would open at noon as an available shelter to emergency personnel and storm victims. From this point forward, Lakewood Church has been very active in assisting the victims and aiding the rebuilding efforts across Houston and, in 2018, the City of Houston with Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed a day of honor for this assistance.

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Joel Osteen’s Salary from His Church Roles

Osteen is an executive at the church, but he reportedly hasn’t taken a salary for this role since 2005.

The church takes in $43 million a year in collectibles. Over 90% of the church’s income is raised from church followers, with 1% of its budget going to charitable causes.

Joel Osteen Net Worth: Making the Big Bucks

If Osteen doesn’t earn anything from his role as a pastor, how did he accumulate such a high net worth?

Osteen is now one of the richest pastors in the world, sourcing his fortune from different places. He has earned millions through book sales, endorsement deals, and media appearances, and has invested substantially in real estate.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes up his net worth.

Authorship

Joel Osteen published his first book in 2004, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential. The book debuted at the top of the New York Times bestseller list and remained at the top for 200 weeks.

joel osteen your best life now
Today, Osteen is the author of 15+ books, seven of which were #1 New York Time bestsellers. He reportedly earns $55 million yearly from book royalties, sales, and speaking engagements.

One of his most popular books, Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day, published in 2005, earned Osteen $13 million in advances and royalties alone.

The other popular titles he has published over the years include:

  • Your Best Life Begins Each Morning, Devotions to Start Every New Day of the Year in 2008
  • It’s Your Time: Finding Favor, Restoration, and Abundance in Your Life Every Day in 2009
  • I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life in 2012
  • The Power of I Am: Two Words That Will Change Your Life Today in 2015
  • Fresh Start: The New You Begins Today in 2015
  • Empty Out the Negative in 2017
  • Blessed in the Darkness: How All Things Are Working for Your Good in 2017
  • The Abundance Mind-Set: Success Starts Here in 2020
  • You Are Stronger Than You Think: Unleash the Power to Go Bigger, Go Bold, and Go Beyond What Limits You in 2021
  • Rule Your Day: 6 Keys to Maximizing Your Success and Accelerating Your Dreams in 2022

Media and TV Show Appearances

Over the years, Joel Osteen has made many guest appearances aside from his weekly sermon broadcast from Lakewood. He has appeared in:

  • Larry King Live on CNN in 2006
  • Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi in 2007
  • Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN in 2011
  • Words of Art in 2014
  • I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Song in 2015

He has also appeared on the Christian Broadcast Network and NBC’s Today, as well as on The Star in 2017.

Speaking Engagements

Osteen owes a lot of his financial success to the money he charges for speaking engagements. He reportedly brings in a fortune from every speaking event. According to his booking agent All American Speakers, he earns between $100,000 and $200,000 for a single live speaking event.

Social Media Earnings and Endorsement Deals

Another big factor that contributes to Osteen’s immense wealth is endorsements. His endorsement deals include the one with Dillard’s, and he most likely earns a fortune on social media, considering that he has millions of followers across different platforms. The details of his endorsement deals remain undisclosed to the public, though.

Real Estate

Joel Osteen and his family have lived in a property in River Oaks, Houston, worth $10.5 million. In 2017 alone, they paid $247,000 in property taxes for their home. The property has six bedrooms, a guesthouse, a pool house, a pool, and three elevators. According to the Daily Mail, they own another Houston home worth around $3 million today.

Other Assets

This information has been the subject of many debates over the years. Michael Cleere on Twitter claimed that the pastor is making millions off the church, sharing:

Even so, we weren’t able to confirm the latter. While the Houston Chronicle once reported that the pastor drives a Ferrari, a church spokesperson told the Daily Mail that he doesn’t own any exotic planes or vehicles.

What Can We Learn from Joel Osteen’s Story?

Joel Osteen is one of the world’s richest pastors, standing in the ranks with Kenneth Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, and Benny Hinn, the Miracle Crusades televangelist. His story offers a multifaceted lesson in the intersection of wealth, media, and faith.

Despite his humble beginnings and lack of formal theological training, Joel Osteen’s rise to prominence as a pastor and televangelist shows us the impact media can have on religious influence.

His adherence to the prosperity gospel has resonated with millions of church followers worldwide, contributing greatly to his net worth.

While some may criticize his beliefs or Osteen’s lavish lifestyle, his success underscores the potential for individuals to leverage modern communication platforms to expand their influence and their reach.

Osteen’s journey also highlights the power of positive thinking and motivational messaging in connecting with the audience.

Despite many controversies, Osteen has demonstrated an ability to generate significant income through diversified sources including speaking engagements and book sales.

This teaches us an important lesson about diversifying income streams and using your influence and fame to succeed in various fields.