Billionaire televangelist slashes price on $14.6M Florida condo amid scrutiny over church wealth: report
The wealthiest religious broadcaster in the world is looking to offload his luxury condo in Florida.
The beachfront residence of Brazilian billionaire televangelist Edir Macedo in the ultra-exclusive Porsche Design Tower Miami is now listed for just under $14.6 million after a price cut, according to public real estate records.
Macedo, founder and bishop of the Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus (Universal Church of the Kingdom of God), is no stranger to lavish living or controversy.
His net worth is estimated at $1.8 billion, ranking him 1,901st on Forbes' real-time billionaire index. By comparison, Kim Kardashian's net worth is $1.7 billion.
PALM BEACH, THE WALL STREET OF THE SOUTH, HAS A HOT LUXURY REAL ESTATE MARKET
The Porsche Design Tower, a $560 million architectural marvel completed in 2017, is famous for its car elevators that transport luxury vehicles directly into private condo garages. In 2013, The Real Deal reported that "nearly two dozen of the homes — 22 — under contract will belong to billionaires."
The tower has a mandatory homeowners association with monthly fees ranging from $4,277 to $12,069.
Macedo’s neighbors over the years have included international celebrities like Lionel Messi, Colombian pop star Maluma, Mexican actress Thalía and Andrea Romanello Ferdinand, daughter of Patrick Romanello, who The New York Times reported was "alleged to be an associate of the Bonanno crime family."
But the Florida condo might not be the only real estate Macedo’s family holds in the U.S.
According to a property intelligence database reviewed by watchdog group the Trinity Foundation, another Sunny Isles Beach condo worth $9.6 million is linked to the family. Yet, according to the Trinity Foundation's research, the Miami-Dade County property appraiser lists only a shell LLC as the owner with no names publicly attached.
The Trinity Foundation, a nonprofit that investigates religious fraud, has long tracked Macedo’s financial activities.
"Macedo’s empire includes media companies, banking interests, and international real estate," the group noted, citing his control of Brazil’s Record TV network and Banco Renner.
The Universal Church isn’t just active in Brazil. It operates worldwide, including in Portugal, Mexico and the United States. The church even built a modern version of Solomon’s Temple in São Paulo, Brazil.
Despite its clear wealth and power, the church's "Contact Us" page on its U.S. website claims "the Universal Church does not provide financial aid programs."
Their 24/7 livestream available on the Universal Church's website currently offers "Blessed Water" for sale, which purports to heal everything from depression to cancer.
According to the Trinity Foundation, the organization also owns four private jets and a helicopter, assets rarely seen in the nonprofit religious world.
Macedo’s empire has had legal troubles. In 2008, he and nine of his associates were charged in Brazil with laundering roughly $2 billion.
As reported by The Associated Press, "The church allegedly used fake companies to launder the money, moving the assets abroad and then returning them in the form of loans used by Macedo and his accomplices to buy businesses, prosecutors said."
Brazilian courts ultimately did not convict Macedo or his co-defendants.
More issues surfaced in 2019, when authorities in Angola charged four leaders of Macedo’s church with financial crimes, including money laundering.
According to Ver Angola, the fallout led to the expulsion of 22 Brazilian church members by Angolan immigration officials.
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The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment.