Joel Osteen – $100 Million

American televangelist Joel Osteen has attracted millions of followers with his positive and simple sermons, as well as his best-selling books. Osteen’s parents founded the nondenominational charismatic Lakewood Church in 1959 in Houston. In 1981, the pastor left Oral Roberts University after less than a year of study to his father develop the church’s growing national television ministry, working behind the cameras as church’s broadcast producer.

Following the passing of Osteen’s father in 1999, he took over as the head pastor of Lakewood Church. Under his leadership, the church soon became the most significant and fastest-growing congregation in the United States, rapidly increasing its media presence by purchasing advertisements on billboards and other venues. In 2004, Osteen released his best-selling book titled Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential. And since then, the pastor has achieved a sizeable degree of net worth, currently at $100 million.