Public shaming has ended in Texas megachurch owner Joel Osteen returning $4.4 million in COVID-19 crisis loans. The Ferrari-driving pastor received complaint for accepting the loans whilst flaunting his wealth.
Osteen and his tax-exempt Lakewood Church become viral villains final year after they received some of the pandemic’s greatest taxpayer-funded loans. The megachurch won about $4.4 million during the Paycheck Protection Program to hide payroll and other bills as it shuttered in-person products and services for seven months ultimate year.
After the Houston Chronicle reported the loan, Osteen’s title trended nationally on Twitter as other people criticized him.
His Lakewood Church in Houston is a 600,000 square-foot former sports stadium with a 17,000-person seating capacity. The church has stated the organization misplaced revenue as a result of those seats being empty.
Lakewood spokesperson, Donald Iloff, defended the verdict to seek reinforce from the program on the time.
“Believing the shutdown would simplest final a few weeks, Lakewood did not to start with apply for PPP help all through the first part of the program,” Iloff mentioned in a remark. “However, because the shutdown persevered month after month, given the commercial uncertainty, Lakewood in any case implemented for the PPP mortgage and has been in a position to supply complete salaries and advantages including medical health insurance coverage to all of its workers and their households.”
Many on social media took factor with Osteen no longer serving to pay his own workers. The pastor has gathered a fortune of $100 million according to celebrity net worth. He forgoes the $200,000 salary he’s entitled to as Lakewood’s pastor. Osteen makes his money off of talking engagements and his best-selling books. His lucrative ventures have netted him upwards of $fifty five million a yr, according to NY Daily News.
But, monumental presentations of wealth from the pastor have drawn contempt from the public.
The prosperity gospel televangelist owns a $10.5 million mansion within the rich Houston suburb known as River Oaks. But, the 17,000 square foot house isn’t his only property. The pastor and his wife additionally own a 2nd $2.9 million mansion in Tanglewood, Houston.
Osteen frequently drives a Ferrari 458 Italia and reportedly owns a private jet. Aero Corner reports he bought an $86 million Airbus A319. The giant A319 is generally used for industrial flights and is certainly one of the most expensive jets money can buy.
Sources: New York Post, Houston Chronicle, NY Daily News
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