- Paid $10.5 million for a Houston home in 2010
- Today that home is worth $14-16 million
- Does not take a salary from his church
- Reportedly earned $13 million of his second alone
Growing Up
Joel Scott Osteen was born in Houston, Texas, on March 5, 1963. He is the youngest of John Osteen and Dolores Pilgrim’s six children. Osteen also has a half-brother from his father’s previous marriage who grew up with the family. Joel graduated from Humble High School in 1981 and attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to study radio and television communications. Osteen did not finish high school.
Private Life
On April 4, 1987, Osteen married Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria IIoff. The couple is the parents of two children. Osteen’s older siblings and younger sister are both full-time ministers.
Osteen generally avoids preaching on contentious and political issues such as gay marriage and abortion, but he has stated that the church can sometimes become overly focused on a single issue to the exclusion of others. He has stated that he is opposed to homophobia. Osteen has also spoken out in support of Israel. The band The American Dollar sued Osteen and Lakewood Church for copyright infringement in 2011. A judge ruled in Osteen’s favor.
Career
The Lakewood member board ordained Osteen as a minister in 1992. He became pastor of Lakewood Church after his father died. In 2004, he published ‘Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential,’ which became a huge success. The following year, he relocated Lakewood Church to the Compaq Center. In 2007, he published his second book, ‘Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day.’
The same year, a 12-minute segment titled ‘Joel Osteen Answers his Critics’ aired on ’60 Minutes.’ In 2008, Osteen published ‘Daily Readings from Becoming a Better You: 90 Devotions for Improving Your Life Everyday.’ Osteen appeared on Piers Morgan’s show, ‘Piers Morgan Tonight,’ in 2011. He stated that he had never attended a seminary or received a divinity degree.
Joel Osteen’s net worth is estimated to be $100 million as of July 2022.
Joel Osteen’s Professional Career
Joel Osteen began preaching after the death of his father. His sermon was well received by the congregation, and the church grew to 43,000 members. He then relocated the church to the Compaq Center and renovated it to accommodate more people.
Every week, millions of people around the world watch the Lakewood Church Television program hosted by him. In 2006, he was named to Barbara Walter’s list of the 100 most fascinating people. He is the author of several books, including Your Best Life Now and Become a Better You. He has also appeared on TV shows such as Words of Art and The Star.
Highlights
Here are some of Joel Osteen’s best moments:
- Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential (Autobiography, 2004)
- Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi (Documentary, 2007)
- Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day (Autobiography, 2007)
- Words of Art (Documentary, 2014)
- The Star (Movie, 2017)
What Does Joel Osteen Do With His Money?
According to reports, Osteen’s book sales, radio shows, public speaking fees, and church collection generate $55 million per year. Over 4.6 million people watched his Easter Sunday video online. With that said, there is no doubt that Osteen can afford to buy expensive cars and real estate.
Homes of Joel Osteen
Osteen is a proud homeowner in Houston. He paid a total of $10.5 million for the property. He also owns a stunning mansion in Tanglewood, Houston, valued at $2.9 million. The mansion has six bedrooms, six bathrooms, three elevators, and one guest room.
Cars owned by Joel Osteen
Osteen has many expensive cars, but one of the most expensive cars in his garage is a Ferrari 458 Italia.
Author
Joel released his first book, “Your Best Life Now,” in 2004. It debuted at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list as a positive-thinking book and stayed there for 200 weeks. Because of the success of this book and his sermons, Joel has been able to take his “live at your full potential” message to sold-out sports arenas all over the world.
“Become A Better You,” his second book published in 2005, sold 4 million copies and reportedly earned the pastor more than $13 million in advances and royalties. Osteen went on a 15-city book tour in the United States in 2005, preaching to large crowds in each city. John McCain once said that Osteen was his favorite inspirational honoree. Throughout his career, Joel Osteen has published 15 books.
Hurricane Harvey Reaction
Osteen was heavily chastised in August 2017 for failing to make Lakewood Church available as an emergency shelter in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The 606,000-square-foot structure was previously used as a basketball arena. Initially, church posts stated that the building was unusable due to severe flooding; however, Osteen responded to the announcement by stating that the church had never closed.
On the evening of August 28th, Lakewood announced that they would be open at noon the following day as a shelter for victims and emergency personnel. A year later, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner declared a day to honor Osteen and Lakewood Church’s contributions to the city’s rebuilding efforts. The mayor stated that Lakewood Church assisted over 1,150 Houston families and donated $1.1 million in rebuilding materials, in addition to mobilizing 2,500 volunteers from their congregation.
Summary | What is Joel Osteen’s Net Worth
Joel Osteen is well-known for his trademark smile, and he has won over 7 million fans worldwide. He usually preaches in stadiums and sports arenas. He amasses a large number of listeners and audiences, and he is a spiritual guru and religious icon in his own right. His other works have also been New York Times best-sellers.
Joel Osteen’s net worth is estimated to be around $100 million as of July 2022.
