At 6'5, 237lbs, Calvin Johnson earned his nickname 'Megatron' not only by his former teammate, Roy Williams, but for his superior route running, strength, and speed combination that has allowed him to be regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers ever. From 2004-2006, Johnson attended the Georgia Institute of Technology where he arguably became the school's greatest football player of all-time. He ranks first in the school's history for career receiving yards (2,927), touchdowns (28), and career 100-yard receiving games (13).
Calvin Johnson was drafted 2nd overall in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions where he played all nine seasons of his NFL career. Of those nine seasons, Johnson was a 6x Pro Bowler, 3x First-Team All-Pro, and 2x NFL receiving yards leader. In 2012, Johnson broke Jerry Rice's single-season record for receiving yards with a total of 1,848 yards and tied for first with Michael Irvin for most 100-yard games in a season with 11. With all of these accolades under his belt, the Lions offered Johnson an eight-year, $132 million extension in 2012. Though he retired this year, he still was able to rake in over $113 million throughout the course of his career.
Not all celebrities have fame and fortune, some are just famous – and in a ton of debt. They came from rags to riches, then went back to rags. Whether they’ve filed bankruptcy, ended up in court, or just can’t stop spending, celebrities mismanage their money just like everyone else. They just hide it well.
50 Cent coined the term “wanksta,” then “partied like it was his birthday” until he filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2015. The rapper was said to be anywhere between $10 million and $50 million in debt. In 2016, a federal bankruptcy court judge in Connecticut approved a plan for the founder of G-Unit to pay his debts back. He was able to get his bankruptcy discharged in February of the following year.
Following a 45-year-long career in Hollywood, acting in more than 70 films, actor Gary Busey found himself in more debt than he was worth. In 2012, it was reported that Busey owed between $500,000 and $1 million worth of debt, but only had $50,000 to his name. The 74-year-old actor owed money to hospitals, banks, the L.A. Waterworks District, and even a storage company. He filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy that same year. Despite his longstanding career in Hollywood, Busey's net worth is now only $500,000.
Burt Reynolds is still worth five million dollars, but his battles with debt date back more than 20 years. Between bad investments and a pricey divorce from actress Loni Anderson, the 1970s superstar had to deal with over $10 million in debt and decided to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1996. While testifying in a 1994 custody hearing, the South Florida native said he spent $40 million getting through his divorce.
The former Hollywood bad boy, Charlie Sheen owes the IRS nearly $5 million. But that's not all. In 2016, his net worth was reportedly still as high as $150 million, but he was nonetheless $12 million in debt at the time – including mortgages, legal fees, and taxes. That same year, Debt.com reported Sheen owed nearly $300,000 on an American Express card alone.