Being a billionaire is an impressive achievement. Creating an empire that brings in that amount of money is no easy feat and takes an incredible amount of determination, motivation and skill. What is even more impressive, though, are the billionaires who are also Christian.
In the Bible, Christians are told over and over again about how money is the root of all evil. It can bring about greed, wrath, and gluttony. Even small amounts of money can cause people to fall into the hole of sin. There are countless stories in the media about business people or celebrities who are prideful and stuck up due to their power and wealth, which completely goes against what God wants for each of us, and it makes these Christian billionaires much more inspiring. Learn who these people are, what they own, and how the Christian faith helps them deal with success.
Bill Gates
Bill Gates is one of the richest people on this earth, and he is incredibly generous with the money he earns. His organization, The Gates Foundation, is dedicated to eradicating diseases and helping the world’s most poor, and he’s committed to giving away almost his entire fortune. Part of the reason he donates so much is based on his religious principles. He said in an interview with Rolling Stone: “The moral systems of religion, I think, are super important. We’ve raised our kids in a religious way; they’ve gone to the Catholic church that Melinda goes to and I participate in. I’ve been very lucky, and therefore, I owe it to try and reduce the inequity in the world. And that’s kind of a religious belief. I mean, it’s at least a moral belief.”
Do Won Chang and Jin Sook
You might not know Do Won Chang or his wife Jin Sook’s name, but you know their brand. The Changs used to own Forever 21, one of the largest retail chains for young girls. The two are born-again Christians who go to church at 5 am every morning to pray. Sook was once quoted as saying that when the family first immigrated to America, she went to the top of a mountain to pray, and God told her to open a store. Mr. Chang is famous for keeping a Bible open on his desk, and at the bottom of every Forever 21 carrier bag, it read “John 3:16”.
The Walton Family
The Walton Family is best known for their Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, but they also have spoken out about their Christian faith. The late Sam Walton had a deep Presbyterian faith that he used as a basis for all his business decisions. Walmart has long made efforts to reach out to the religious community, including hiring a former nun to govern company policies or inviting church officials to its corporate headquarters to help combat negative publicity. Bethany Moreton, assistant professor of history and women’s studies at the University of Georgia, said Walton worked into the company’s corporate structure the idea of “service leadership” that ties worker roles into the concept that “Christ was a servant leader” and emphasizes the importance in the Christian tradition of serving others.
David Green
David Green is the former owner of the famous arts and crafts store Hobby Lobby. However, he insists that he’s not the true owner of his billion dollar chain, but rather God is. “If you have anything or if I have anything, it’s because it’s been given to us by our Creator,” says Green. “So I have learned to say, ‘Look, this is yours, God. It’s all yours. I’m going to give it to you.’" Green gives back so much of his fortune that he is the largest individual donor to evangelical causes in America. When asked how he keeps his work and business separate, he said he doesn't: "You can't have a belief system on Sunday and not live it the other six days." In 2022, Green gave up ownership of Hobby Lobby for God, but keeps his standing as a billionaire.
The Cathy Family
The Cathy family is best known for being the proprietors of Chick-fil-A, but the company has deep origins in Christianity. Many of their values are influenced by the religious beliefs of the late founder, S. Truett Cathy, an earnest Southern Baptist. In an acknowledgment of Sunday Sabbatarianism, all Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays, Christmas Day, and Thanksgiving.
During Lent, Chick-fil-A promotes fish sandwiches as a nod to Christians abstaining from meat during Lent. The company’s conservative disagreement with same-sex marriage has caused controversy, although the company loosened its stance in 2019. Despite the controversies, in 2022, the American Customer Satisfaction Index found that the restaurant remains the country’s favorite fast food chain for the eighth consecutive year. It also has the highest per-store sales of any fast-food chain in the U.S.In 1 Timothy 6:10, we read that the love of money is the root of all evil. Some may assume that billionaires don’t care about money, but these billionaires have proved that that’s not the case. Despite sitting on mountains of money, these celebrities and business people are sharing their love of God with the world.
They are giving back to their communities in huge ways through their larger-than-life donations. It shows how God can work through people to help those most in need. These billionaires can be of great inspiration everywhere and are examples of how God wants us to use the money He blesses us with.
