The super-rich televangelist is known for flaunting his extreme wealth, but does Joel Osteen own a yacht?
Joel Osteen does not own a yacht. While the super-rich televangelist certainly isn’t lacking in the materialism department, a yacht isn’t among his worldly possessions.
Read on to learn more about Joel Osteen and his near-controversial wealth.
Man of Money
Joel Osteen has been at the forefront of controversy for many years. He makes his wealth through one of the most dubious means possible – televangelism. There have been countless instances of dispute around the world on this manner of living, but it’s sure working out for Osteen.
Osteen hasn’t been on the scene for all that long of a time. He gave his first public sermon in just 1999, but his charisma and personality shone through. Within just three years, Osteen’s church would acquire an enormous property – a retired basketball and hockey arena.
After fifteen months’ work and a staggering $105 million in renovations, the new church opened. This was an enormous event, and Osteen was at the forefront. Tens of thousands of people attended the opening, and the church was cemented in history.
Since the early 2000s, Osteen has been an outspoken character. His sermons and his preaching is broadcasted all around the world, and over the internet. As he pursued alternate avenues of income, he began writing self-help books.
These books became instant hits, and topped best seller charts worldwide. Osteen would leverage his powerful role as a senior pastor to drive the sales of these books. Reportedly, Osteen took no salary from his work with the church, and instead relied on book sales to fund his way of life.
As of 2020, Osteen had published a whopping fifteen books.
That way of life was certainly top-shelf. As of 2017, Osteen’s net worth was estimated to be around $60 million. He resided in an $11 million mansion, becoming the subject of envy and controversy.
Many people believed that a man of God shouldn’t live the way he did. Conversely, there were those who thought Osteen could do as he pleased, working so hard as he was in the name of God.
Material World
Joel Osteen is certainly not without extravagance, even as a man of God. He reportedly turned down the entitled $200,000 salary, opting to earn his money through other means. One could argue that this was a PR move, as Osteen remains more than comfortable without it.
Osteen’s sermons are known for being laden with the ‘prosperity gospel’. He teaches that through prayer and God, you can find wealth. There are a vast swathe of people all around the world that listen to and follow this line, using Osteen as tangible inspiration.
In a 2012 video, Joel Osteen quite literally made no apologies for his wealth. He stated: “I’m not asking for money on television, I don’t try to be slick.” He subtly expands by explaining that they don’t ask for money, but people still send in millions of dollars.
He explicitly stated that he doesn’t make any apologies for his wealth, and felt that it was ‘God’s blessings’. The extreme wealth and sharp image that Osteen garnered was supposedly given upon him by divine intervention. You can hear Osteen speak about this on YouTube.
This attitude has of course come under fire at times. In 2020, comedian Mike Birbiglia posted a comment to Twitter, joking that: “God doesn’t care if you worship in a church or a house or in a car or at a school. He just wants you to make sure you make out the check to “Joel Osteen.”
Regardless of how he acquires it, there’s no doubt Osteen has some serious wealth. While he doesn’t have a yacht as of 2020, it’s certainly not off the cards as a future purchase.