It was once said by Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, that a person who wants to get rich should start a religion. Who can even blame the man for speaking the truth? This is in no way to discredit any religious group, but it’s difficult to turn a blind eye to people who have owned so much after starting a faith-based organization.

Let’s look at these pastors and ministers for example. They become so good at their game that some of them have ventured into the world of business. They are the pastors who have been travelling across the globe in their private planes to reach the masses and spread the word of the Bible faster. Some pastors even encountered issues with regards to their wealth and are currently under investigation by the IRS.

Here are the richest pastors who proved to us that the words of L. Ron Hubbard, ring true.

David Oyedepo

David Odeyepo is the bishop and co-founder of the Living Faith Church World Wide ministries in Africa. What started as a small faith group expanded to different parts of the continent and even outside it. Oyedepo’s ministry has also been able to find it’s way inside Dubai and London. His wealth is gotten mostly from the benefits of the church expansion, which he invested on several projects. The Bishop owns two universities in Africa- Covenant University and Landmark University. With a net worth of $150 million, he was able to afford four private planes and houses in different countries. He also has the highest net worth among the other clergymen of the recent year.

 Bishop T.D. Jakes

His name might come off as a rapper, but Bishop Thomas Dexter Jakes is one pastor who has been commended by former U.S. President Bush and Obama. Bishop Jakes is the head of The Potter’s House, one of America’s most famous churches. Recently, his net worth was declared to be at $147 million. This sizable amount came from his different projects like books and gospel albums. He was able to sell millions of copies in his books like He-motions and Reposition Yourself. He even has a Grammy win for his album A Wing and A Prayer in 2004.

 Chris Oyakhilome

Pastor Chris has submerged himself in faith, education, and health. The head pastor and founder of Believers’ Love World Ministries has a net worth of $50 million and is the third richest pastor in the world. Aside from his church, Pastor Chris also owns three television channels dedicated to air his religious preaching. He is quite the businessman, having invested in music production companies and real estate. The latest news is that Pastor Chris is facing a possible warrant of arrest from the government of South Africa, if he continues to evade requests of financial transparency from the government.

Benny Hinn

With a net worth of $42 million and a private Gulfstream G4 jet, it was only inevitable that Benny Hinn would encounter the government, sooner or later. He has been in the evangelical world for more than 40 years, making him one of the longest minister who is still serving. He has been very controversial in the promotion of faith healing.

Benny Hinn is under investigation for possible manipulation of tax status. Despite his issues and allegation, his church continues to have a strong following in countries like Canada.

 E. A. Adeboye

Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has a PhD in Mathematics which clearly served him well when expanding his churches. He is the founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCGC), that now, has presence in almost 100 countries. According to him, he aims to build a church within a home, every five minutes, and that is why he continues to expand his ministry with more than 14,000 branches in Nigeria. With all those branches and following, his net worth was declared to be at $39 million this year.

Despite the many allegations and issues surrounding these ministers, it’s evident that this doesn’t seem to affect much of the wealth that they’ve already built. While some people continues to criticize them, their followers rationalize their wealth as a blessing for spreading the word of the Bible and for helping other people find religion.