1. Kenneth Copeland (Net Worth $760 Million)
Kenneth Copeland, another Texas native on this list (there are a few), is the second wealthiest religious leader as of this writing. At age 79, he is showing no signs of slowing down his ministry called Kenneth Copeland Ministries or KCM. As a prosperity gospel teacher and part of the Charismatic Movement, this televangelist has been on television for longer than many of us have been alive.
He didn’t turn to Christianity until he was in his 30’s, following a path as a musician which landed him a Billboard Top 40 hit “Pledge of Love” in 1957, which peaked at #17 and stayed on the charts for 15 weeks.
He owns a 1998 Cessna 550 Citation Brave, which was donated in 2007 for domestic flights, and a 2005 Cessna 750 Citation X which is used for international travel. KCM is also restoring a 1962 Beech H-18 Twin to use for disaster relief efforts.
Some scandals have come from the use of the aircraft for personal vacations and enjoyment of friends. KCM also takes advantage of a FAA program which keeps flights private from tracking websites, which allows five of the ministries aircrafts to move with anonymity.
Copeland also found himself and KCM in hot water when a measles outbreak in Tarrant County (Fort Worth is located here) started to cause fear in 2013 and was blamed on KCM for their anti-vaccination sentiments. In response, a statement was issued which denied the organizations issues with vaccines and even encouraged it.
Controversy or not, Copeland has built an empire that will continue once he steps down, yet he is not known to live an overtly lavish lifestyle. Copeland’s net worth is $760 million and his assets include the 1,500-acre campus near Fort Worth previous mentioned. While he boasts he is a billionaire, there is no proof of that as of this writing.