What Was Warren Jeffs’ Net Worth Before He Went to Jail? – Warren Jeffs was the son of the previous leader, Rulon Jeffs, who practised extreme polygamy as well, though not to the extent that Jeffs did and did not abuse kids. By the time he was on the run from the law in 2006, Jeffs had amassed a sizable fortune. Where did he acquire his money? He was able to house and effectively govern the lives of supposedly over 10,000 members.
Warren Jeffs is one of the most infamous religious leaders in history, having been accused of many sex offences in three states before being convicted of two in Texas in 2011. After all, the still-president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church), as noted in ‘Preaching Evil,’ carried the practise of polygamy to terrible extremes.
But, for the time being, if you’re curious about how he supported his lifestyle, including his alleged 87 marriages, 50+ children, 1½ years on the run, and more, we’ve got the facts of his net worth for you.
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Where Did Warren Jeffs Get His Money?
Warren Jeffs was born on December 3, 1955, to Rulon Jeffs and Merilyn Steed, and was raised as a Mormon fundamentalist just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, especially considering his father’s devotion to the Church.
However, a decade before Rulon became Prophet (1986), he earned a name for himself in the community by obtaining the position of Principal at a local FLDS private school (aged 20). Before going on to institutional activities, he actually served there for two decades and was supposedly known for being a stickler for regulations and discipline.
Prior to Rulon’s death in 2002, Warren’s devotion as the Church leader’s counsellor appears to have played a key part in him being designated successor, kicking off everything. He supposedly married several of his father’s widows as well as assigning youngsters to his adult male followers as a reward or removing entire families as punishment as the lone person in control.
The “President of the Priesthood” had complete power over everything and everyone, which is why he was able to accept money in the form of donations straight from FLDS entrepreneurs and workers.
Because Warren forced them to work for little or no compensation, each family was obligated to pay at least $500-$1,000 every month, whether it was their whole profit or their earnings/savings. As if that wasn’t enough, he essentially controlled the sister towns of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, by investing in real estate through the Church-run United Effort Plan (UEP) trust.
Warren allegedly exploited the low-paying strategy to obtain construction services from sect members in order to develop his real estate empire; they regarded Warren’s word to be scripture, and he took advantage.
Warren was last seen in early 2005 after being accused of sexual assault by family members, followed by real indictments in Arizona, Utah, and Texas for unconnected instances. They all featured his alleged crimes against minors (directly or indirectly), prompting the FBI to add him to their Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and offer a $100,000 reward for his capture.
Warren Jeffs Did Get Some of His Money Through Government Fraud, as was later established.
After Warren Jeffs had already been arrested, it was discovered that the church and Jeff’s brother, Lyle Jeffs, had been unlawfully using SNAP monies. SNAP is the money supplied to qualified recipients on government-issued debit cards to be used to purchase approved foods. Whoever collects the money is required to utilise it only for the purposes mentioned.
The FLDS, on the other hand, was not only directing non-authorized persons to buy food with SNAP benefits, but they were also depositing that food in a communal storeroom under complete FLDS authority. Furthermore, members may only buy these foods from FLDS-run enterprises, which would subsequently use government funds for ineligible activities.
Warren Jeffs received his money through various avenues, including illegal and immoral methods that were extremely difficult to trace.
Warren Jeffs’ Net Worth Before Jail
Warren Jeffs had amassed quite a fortune by the time he was captured (he was initially stopped over in Nevada just because his vehicle’s licence plate was not visible). The UEP alone had almost 700 properties under its name, and because the trust was administered by the FLDS Church, the Prophet had $114 million in land assets at the time. When you add in his other business ventures, it’s safe to say he had a net worth of around $120 million before he went to prison.
