Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church received a $4.4 million loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, as part of the federal CARES Act that was intended to be a stimulus to keep businesses and employees afloat while the pandemic kept everyone at home.
Churches were also eligible for the money, and some of the most prestigious churches in the country took advantage of the opportunity.
Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church was not on the initial list of recipients and claimed that they did not apply to receive any money. However, the church later applied and was granted $4.4 million, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Osteen himself is estimated to have a net worth of over $50 million, with his church taking in $43 million a year in collections.
Hellbound and Down 