Who wants to be a millionaire? Well, almost no one would refuse a million dollars, but for many celebs a million means very little when faced with exorbitant debt. Lots of people dream of the privileges that fame entails, such as free gifts, sponsorships, and an army of adoring fans. The sky is the limit... Or so it would seem. Once the fairy tale lifestyle comes to an end, the rosy fantasy can become a nightmare.
If there's one thing these celebs have learnt, it's that fame is fleeting and showbiz is a fickle industry. One minute a celebrity is on cloud 9, eating caviar and flying in a private jet, the next they're auctioning off all their possessions. While some celebs are able to maintain a lavish lifestyle with extremely high net worth, others are not so fortunate. Many of these celebs made poor financial decisions, but in some cases, these losses are not the fault of the star; rather, the greed of others caused their downfall. In order of their losses, here are 10 celebs with a negative net worth.
10 Dennis Rodman, -$500,000
While the former NBA star has had somewhat of a resurgence in popularity due to his colorful personality and appearance in recent Netflix documentary The Last Dance, he is nonetheless facing a dire financial situation.
At the height of his fame, he was earning $27 million, but legal troubles, problems with alcohol, and expensive divorces have left him with a negative net worth.
9 Gary Busey, -$500,000
The oddball actor never quite fit into Hollywood, coming across as a more erratic and unkempt Nick Nolte. Despite an acting resume that spans 5 decades, Busey is perhaps best known for his appearances on reality TV shows Celebrity Rehab and Celebrity Big Brother, where he was crowned the winner. Much of his money was unfortunately lost to drug abuse and he had to file for bankruptcy in 2012.
8 Drake Bell, -$600,000
Bell was much loved on The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh, exhibiting his charming comedic skills. Unlike his far more successful co-star Josh Peck, Drake Bell is in a difficult financial situation. In 2014, he filed for bankruptcy, owing $1.6 million in mortgage repayments.
7 Randy Quaid, -$1 million
Randy Quaid never enjoyed the same prosperity as his more famous brother, Dennis. He has experienced numerous legal troubles, including felony charges for squatting in the house he and his wife used to own. Subsequently, he has accumulated a debt of $1 million and ended up living as a fugitive for quite some time.
6 Aaron Carter, -$2 million
The former child idol used to have millions of dollars to his name. That all changed, however, in 2013 when he was forced to file for bankruptcy, owing millions of dollars in unpaid taxes.
As is sadly common with many former child stars (Macauley Culkin and Gary Coleman were similarly swindled), most of Carter's earnings went to his parents, who offered him a meagre $2 million out of the $200 million he made at the height of his career.
5 Stephen Baldwin, -$2 million
The actor and father-in-law of Justin Bieber has been in financial difficulty for over a decade. Baldwin and his wife lost their New York home to foreclosure, having incurred a massive $2 million debt. The house was put up for auction and sold back to the bank for just $100.
4 Sinbad -$11 million
In the '90s, comedian Sinbad was on top of the world and a household name known for his timely observational humor. Although he made a lot of money as a comedian, he filed for bankruptcy in 2009, owing millions of dollars in income tax as well as having incurred other significant debts.
3 Teresa Giudice, -$11 million
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star hasn't made particularly wise financial decisions. In 2016, she and her husband, Joe, faced 39 fraud charges and pled guilty. The pair were accused of hiding assets from their creditors in order to get a $5 million mortgage loan. She served 11 months, while her husband was jailed for 3 years.
However, Giudice's bankruptcy case was reopened after she was released from prison and her debt continues to haunt her.
2 Chris Tucker, -$11.5 million
Tucker used to be a big star, with his Rush Hour movie series grossing hundreds of millions of dollars. But between poor financial decisions and his association with highly problematic figures, he has fallen out of favor in recent years. He has unpaid taxes dating all the way back to 2001, giving him a hefty negative net worth.
1 50 Cent, -$32.5 million
Sadly, the once successful rapper, whose songs were constantly played on TV, has found himself in massive debt. This is mostly due to bad business decisions, leaving 50 Cent with a shocking -$32.5 million net worth. In 2015, he had an impressive net worth of $155 million, but just one year later he was left bankrupt, owing $32.5 million after a succession of failed business ventures.
His clothing brand, G-Unit Clothing, was initially popular, but suffered severe losses in 2008. Moreover, the rapper was overspending on everything from personal grooming to luxury cars, all contributing to his dire financial situation.