American televangelist and preacher Joel Osteen does not own a Ferrari. On the basis of phony news, social media assailants converged on him.
While Osteen “may own a fancy car (or two),” according to Snopes, “he does not own the vehicle shown in this picture.”
Additionally, it should be mentioned that the rumors that Osteen owned a Ferarri 458 Italia have not been confirmed. In reality, a few news organizations that initially reported on this assertion, including the Houston Chronicle, have now removed their articles.
We were unable to locate any credible reports claiming that Osteen was the owner of a $325,000 Ferrari. We have not been able to discover any statements from Osteen in which he talks about having an exotic collection, and there don’t seem to be any pictures of him driving this exotic sports car.
“It appears that this rumor is little more than a supposition. Osteen does have a substantial home in Houston, Texas, and a reputed net worth in the tens of millions of dollars (more on that later).
“It certainly seems plausible that Osteen has bought one (or two) exotic cars, but these reports have not yet been confirmed”,
“According to a representative for the Exotic Vehicle Life Flickr account, the picture was taken in Coral Gables, Florida, just next to the upscale car dealership The Collection.
They sent us with multiple pictures, none of which showed Osteen, and claimed to have seen the car at another event; they thought it was a bespoke order.
“I saw the car on another occasion at an event, no Joel Osteen was spotted,” the representative claimed.
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Or Not: Joel Osteen’s Ferrari
According to Mrs. Betty Bowers, a satirical persona played by comedian Deven Green, “Ferrari is trendy.” That either indicates a race was won or Joel Osteen spent more money on shopping than he should have given to the poor as instructed by Jesus.
Franklin Leonard, a film producer, said: “Joel Osteen’s response is that Jesus too owned a $325,000 automobile and a $17,000 square foot mansion. You desire that he leave his Prius here? God detests unsightly things.”
Josh Jordan, a user, wrote: “Joel Osteen has made religion a lucrative industry and the fact that he drives a $325,000 Ferrari as he solicits donations only demonstrates how morally bankrupt he is.” Jordan received numerous responses pointing out that Osteen does not receive pay from Lakewood but rather makes his income from book sales.
satirical site for Christian news Joel Osteen unveils a new ultra-thin yacht that can fit through the eye of a needle, according to a tweet from The Babylon Bee on Sunday.
The Ferrari in the pictures is not Osteen’s Ferrari, which is the sole issue with all the controversy surrounding it. In actuality, the car in the two images is not even visible. Osteen is undoubtedly wealthy and may genuinely drive a nice car. However, there is no proof that he actually owns either of the vehicles shown in the joke.
“Claims regarding the pastor’s collection of exotic cars are speculative, according to fact-checking website Snopes, despite Joel Osteen having an estimated net worth of more than $40 million. Additionally, a collection of pictures purporting to depict Osteen’s $325,000 Ferrari actually show an unrelated car.”
According to Snopes, one of the pictures is from a 2010 Flickr post, and the other one looks to be from this YouTube film. According to the website, “We have not been able to discover any credible reporting that Osteen owns a $325,000 Ferrari.” “We have not been able to discover any statements from Osteen in which he talks about having an exotic collection, and there don’t seem to be any pictures of him driving this exotic sports car. It appears that this rumor is merely a guess.”
Joel Osteen, a pastor who drives a Ferrari, was shamed into returning millions.
Owner of a Texas megachurch Joel Osteen has returned $4.4 million in COVID-19 disaster loans after being publicly shamed. The preacher who drove a Ferrari was criticized for accepting the loans and showing off his affluence at the same time.
When Osteen and his tax-exempt Lakewood Church received one of the largest taxpayer-funded loans from the pandemic last year, they turned into viral villains. The megachurch got almost $4.4 million through the Paycheck Protection Program to cover wages and other costs when it closed its physical location for services for seven months in 2017.
Osteen’s name trended around the country on Twitter after the Houston Chronicle disclosed the loan, and people began to attack him.
His Lakewood Church in Houston is housed in a 17,000-seat, 600,000-square-foot former sports arena. According to the church, having those chairs unoccupied cost the organization money.
At the time, Donald Iloff, a spokesman for Lakewood, defended the choice to seek assistance from the program.
Lakewood initially did not apply for PPP help during the first half of the program because they thought the shutdown would only last a few weeks, according to a statement from Iloff. But because of the ongoing economic uncertainties and the length of the shutdown, Lakewood finally applied for the PPP loan and was able to pay all of its employees and their families their full salaries and benefits, including health insurance.
Osteen not contributing to the salary of his own employees was criticized by many on social media. According to celebrity net worth, the preacher has amassed a wealth of $100 million. He declines the $200,000 compensation to which he is entitled as pastor of Lakewood. Osteen earns money via his best-selling books and speaking engagements. According to the NY Daily News, he has made upwards of $55 million from his successful projects each year.
However, the public has expressed disdain for the pastor’s extravagant displays of wealth.
The rich Houston suburb of River Oaks is home to a $10.5 million mansion owned by the prosperity gospel televangelist. The 17,000 square foot house is not his only asset, though. The pastor and his wife also own a second property in Tanglewood, Houston, valued at $2.9 million.
Osteen apparently owns a private plane and a Ferrari 458 Italia that he frequently drives. According to Aero Corner, he bought an Airbus A319 for $86 million. The enormous A319 is one of the priciest jets money can buy and is typically utilized for commercial trips.
The controversy surrounding Osteen’s wealth is a result of greater pressure on the wealthy to close growing gaps.
Although Osteen presumably pays taxes, there is a time for reflection as to why there is such indignation over wealth disparity and unfair taxation.
The disparities between the richest and poorest elements of American society were made clear by the pandemic, and in many cases, they got worse. The richest taxpayers had been hiding billions from the IRS, while millions of Americans lost their jobs (and, in some cases, the unemployment benefits keeping them afloat).
When Osteen’s church came under fire for obtaining a $4.4 million loan from the Paycheck Protection Plan, it added to the finger-pointing about who or what should be eligible for government assistance. The disclosure sparked criticism, particularly in light of Osteen’s rise to personal riches and the church’s running budget and fundraising system.
A representative for the church, David Iloff, told the media that although the church first declined to apply for aid, it did so as the pandemic-related restrictions continued. Iloff claimed that thanks to the financing, the church was able to provide its staff with salaries and health benefits.
Walczak notes that charitable groups, such as churches or NGOs, are frequently the subject of ire about “ostentatious wealth.”
“There will always be people who draw criticism for this, whether they are ministers or leaders of other groups, and that is not surprising. However, that does not imply that there is a tax problem.”
Note from the editor: This story has been changed to clarify that there is no proof that Osteen owned a Ferrari, and any previous reporting that suggested that he did has been removed.
Does Joel Osteen solicit money?
CLAIM: According to a Facebook post, Joel Osteen Ministries will not accept a person’s online prayer request unless they make a $24.99 monthly gift.
AP’S ESTIMATION: FALSE. According to a spokeswoman for Osteen’s church, the image making the rounds on Facebook that purports to show the well-known televangelist asking money in exchange for a prayer is a scam.
THE FACTS: The screenshot of what seems to be Joel Osteen Ministries’ Facebook page asking for donations from a woman who asked for a marriage prayer was doctored. It’s not coming from the ministry’s account. A church spokesman stated that anyone can make a free prayer request in person, over the phone, or online.
Osteen is the senior pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston. Each week, millions of people watch his broadcast sermons.
In an email to The Associated Press, Donald Illoff, a spokesman for the church, stated that “Joel Osteen Ministries never demands money for prayer.” “The picture being shared is from a fake account,”
The Associated Press continues to work to fact-check erroneous information.
Joel Osteen owns how many jets?
There is no special jet, and Osteen pays his own hotel expenses. Osteen does not solicit donations on his broadcasts, which are watched by an estimated 7 million people weekly in the US and 100 other countries, despite the cheery pastor taking collections at services, which bring in an estimated $43 million a year.
What source of funding does Joel Osteen use?
Victoria Osteen (née Iloff), who would eventually work as a co-pastor at Lakewood Church, wed Osteen on April 4, 1987. They have a daughter and a boy. His half-brother Justin was serving on a mission in 2002, along with his older siblings Paul, Lisa, and Tamara, as well as his younger sister April.
In a $10.5 million mansion in River Oaks with 17,000 square feet, Osteen resides with his family. Osteen claims that despite the church having a $70 million annual budget, he does not get a salary as senior pastor and instead relies on proceeds from book sales.
Why is Joel Osteen a wealthy man?
The senior pastor of Lakewood Church, Joel Osteen, who is reportedly worth more than $50 million, no longer takes the $200,000 salary that is due to him. Instead, he makes money by giving profitable speeches all around the United States and selling copies of his 14 books, many of which have sold millions of copies and appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List. His debut book, “Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential,” shot to the top of the Self Help Best Seller list and spent more than two years there. It has now sold more than 8 million copies.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the preacher with the megawatt smile also collects an estimated $43 million annually at his church, and despite the fact that he never begs for donations during his broadcasts, people nevertheless send millions of dollars in mail.
Osteen was questioned by The Christian Post in 2013 on his decision not to accept a salary.
Osteen remarked, “Not everyone can do that; it’s not feasible. “But since I don’t have to, it was significant to us. And I believe it’s crucial because of the criticism that comes with being well-known and the perception that he is only acting for gain. I may then claim that none of what I do is for financial gain. God has also given us other blessings. If you honor God and remain faithful, you never know where God will take you, and that is a key component of my teaching. I don’t promise them that God will make them wealthy. However, you have no idea how God will bless you.”
Osteen has discussed his wealth and the occasionally unfavorable reputation of televangelists with Oprah Winfrey in a 2012 interview conducted at his house with a grand piano in the background.
“I’m not requesting cash on television. I simply try to be truthful; I don’t strive to be cunning. All I can do is strive to be us. You are aware that we must engage in this battle. We simply feel that this is God’s favor. Big givers, we are. What we preach, we do. We have donated a huge sum of money. Being fortunate and living in a wonderful home don’t bother me in the least.”