Joel Scott Osteen was born on 5 March 1963, in Houston, Texas USA, and is a writer, pastor, evangelist, as well as a Senior Preacher of Lakewood Church, which is considered to be the largest Protestant church in the US. Joel Osteen is perhaps best known as a televangelist who has a monthly audience of over 20 million viewers in more than 100 countries, and is often referred to as the “Smiling Preacher”.
So just how rich is Joel Osteen? According to authoritative sources, Joel’s net worth is estimated to amount to $40 million as of mid-2016; the main sources of his wealth are his writings, as well as evangelical preachings.
Joel Osteen Net Worth $40 Million
Joel Osteen’s father was John, a former pastor who was the founder of the Lakewood Church, and mother Dolores Pilgrim. Initially, Osteen studied at Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, but soon returned to Houston and launched a television program for Lakewood Church, which soon enough became one of the most famous preaching programs. However, Joel Osteen was very reluctant to preach himself on television, and preferred to work behind the scenes. In 1999, his father, before his sudden death from a heart attack, convinced Joel to preach his first sermon, but after the death of his father, Joel Osteen inherited the church and became the senior preacher of Lakewood Church. Osteen’s sermons managed to attract 43,000 people to the church and increase the attendance considerably from an initial 5,000.
The year 2005 witnessed a grand opening of the Lakewood Church, with the attendance of 56,000 people, among whom were some very well-known celebrities including Nancy Pelosi and Rick Perry. Considered to be among ten of the most fascinating people chosen by Barbara Walters, Joel Osteen has managed to create a worldwide phenomenon. The Lakewood Church television program is extremely popular both in the United States and abroad; known for his unique preaching style, Osteen can be now seen and heard in over 100 nations with seven million regular weekly viewers. His net worth is certainly being sustained.
A successful preacher, Osteen did not stop at broadcasting sermons only. With the release of his book “Your Best Life Now”, Osteen succeeded at launching a commercially profitable writing career, as the book sold over four million copies and topped the New York Times best-seller list for 200 weeks. Following the success of his first book, in 2007, Joel Osteen published his second book “Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day”. With the focus on relationships and life in general, the book attracted a large readership and peaked at #1 on the best-seller list. The revenue from his second book is estimated to have added $13 million to his $40 million net worth. So far, Joel Osteen has published five books, all of which at some point topped the best-seller lists. His net worth continues to grow.
In his personal life, Joel Osteen has been married to Victoria Iloff since 1987; they have a son and a daughter, and are based in New York City.
July 16 & 17, 2005 Lakewood Church moved into their new church which was known as the old home of the Houston Rockets.
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Son: Jonathan, b. 1995 & daughter: Alexandra, b. 1999
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Associated, as did his late father John Osteen, with the controversial "Word of Faith" movement, known for its "prosperity gospel".
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A very popular pastor and televangelist, even though he has no theological education. His education was in television production.
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Host of television program Lakewood Church; which can be seen in 92 percent of American households.
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In 1958, his father John Osteen received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and started Lakewood Church in an old feed store on the poor east side of Houston. John and his wife, Dodie Osteen, grew the church and filled all of the 234 seats.
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In 1981, he quit college at Oral Roberts University to set up his father's television ministry and worked side by side with him as the editor of their local Houston television ministry show.
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Mary
2017
executive producer announced
Joel Osteen
1999
TV Series executive producer
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Joel Osteen
1999
TV Series
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Joel Osteen
1999
TV Series writer
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lazarus: Apocalypse
2014
original inspiration
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Home & Family
2016
TV Series
Himself
CBS News Sunday Morning
2016
TV Series
Himself
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2016
TV Series
Himself
Covered-Alive in Asia
2016
Documentary
Himself
Good Morning America
2011-2016
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Guest
Dr. Phil
2015
TV Series
Himself
I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Song
2015
Documentary
Himself
Joel Osteen
1999-2015
TV Series
Himself - Host
Today
2014-2015
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Guest
The Insider
2008-2015
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Author, You Can You Will
Words of Art
2014
Documentary
Steve Harvey
2013-2014
TV Series
Himself
HuffPost Live Conversations
2014
TV Series
Himself
Praise the Lord
2001-2014
TV Series
Himself
Larry King Now
2014
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Hannity
2009-2013
TV Series
Himself
Fox News Sunday
2012-2013
TV Series
Himself
Marcus & Joni
2013
TV Series
Himself
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
2013
TV Series
Himself
Piers Morgan Tonight
2011-2013
TV Series
Himself
Skywire Live with Nik Wallenda
2013
TV Movie documentary
Himself (uncredited)
The Dr. Oz Show
2011-2012
TV Series
Himself
Huckabee
2012
TV Series
Himself
Oprah's Lifeclass
2012
TV Series
Himself
CBS This Morning
2012
TV Series
Himself
Oprah's Next Chapter
2012
TV Series
Himself
Israel: A Historic Land of Hope
2012
TV Series documentary
Himself - Host
Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf
2011
TV Series
Himself
Just Laugh!
2010
Documentary
Himself
The View
2009-2010
TV Series
Himself
Larry King Live
2005-2009
TV Series
Himself
Glenn Beck
2009
TV Series
Himself
The Early Show
2007
TV Series
Himself
60 Minutes
2007
TV Series documentary
Himself - Preacher (segment "Joel Osteen")
Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi
2007
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Barbara Walters Summer Special
2006
TV Series
Himself
Meet the Press
2006
TV Series
Himself
Texas Monthly Talks
2005
TV Series
Himself
The O'Reilly Factor
2004
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Marching to Zion
2015
Documentary
Himself (uncredited)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
TV Series
Himself
Hannity
2014
TV Series
Himself
New World Order Bible Versions
2014
Documentary
Himself (uncredited)
Entertainment Tonight
2014
TV Series
Himself
Skywire: Nik Talks the Walk
2013
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Word of Faith Teachers: Origins and Errors and Their Teaching
2012
Documentary
Himself
Of Chaos and Confusion: The Modern Church
2012
Video documentary
Himself
Couch
2010
Short
Himself
60 Minutes
2007-2008
TV Series documentary
Himself - Preacher (segment "Joel Osteen")
Known for movies
Friends of God: A Road Trip with Alexandra Pelosi (2007) as Himself
Joel Osteen (1999-2015) as Producer
Israel: A Historic Land of Hope (2012) as Himself - Host