Standing at 6'5 and weighing 240lbs, Ben Roethlisberger is a massive force behind center with a rocket for an arm. He's helped the Pittsburgh Steelers become a repeat playoff presence for the past decade and a half. Ben Roethlisberger played his collegiate football at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from 2000 to 2003. His initial year, he was redshirted and was named the starting quarterback in 2001. In his final season with the Miami Redhawks, he led the team to an unbeaten record and a 49-28 victory in the 2003 GMAC Bowl over Louisville. In three seasons of play, Roethlisberger broke twenty-one school records for the institution.
In the 2004 NFL Draft, Ben Roethlisberger was picked 11th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers where he's played his entire sixteen-season NFL career. In his second year with the team, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a championship in Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks. In 2008, the Steelers brought home a second champion with Roethlisberger leading the way and also made an appearance in 2010 at Super Bowl XLV. With so much success coming the way of the 6x Pro Bowler, signed two contract extensions worth $87 million in 2008 and 2014. His latest contract extension came in 2019, $68 million for two years of service.
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.