Joining our list of destitute rappers is Bow Wow, who was more famous in his younger days when he was 'Lil Bow Wow.' We wonder if he'll switch it to 'Old Bow Wow' in years to come? The change of name was meant to signify his growth from a child to an adult rap star, but it ultimately signified the end of mainstream success for the artist, whose real name is Shad Gregory Moss. By 2012, when ordered to pay $3000 per month in child support to the mother of his daughter, it transpired that Moss had just $1,500 in the bank.
We have to admire his commitment to faking it when he can't make it, though. The pictures you see here tell a story. Bow Wow tweeted out a picture to his followers to give them the impression he was headed out to a show on a private plane. Unfortunately for him, a fellow passenger saw what he was up to and ratted on him. Bow Wow was flying as a standard fare-paying passenger, just like all the rest of us.
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.