Historically, the Cleveland Browns have not had alot of success in attempting to get back to championship form, but the Ohio-based football franchise has had several notable individuals represent their franchise to best of their abilities. Yet, none of them can ever be as impactful as former running back, Jim Brown. In just nine seasons of play (1957-65), Brown revolutionized the game and was nearly impossible to bring down during his era in the NFL. Defenders would bounce off of him like pinballs as Brown would continue to drive his legs towards his endzone.
Not only was Brown an All-America football athlete at Syracuse University, he also excelled at basketball, lacrosse, and track & field. However, Jim Brown took his talents to the NFL where he was drafted 6th overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 1957 NFL Draft. The 9x Pro Bowler earned an NFL Championship with the Browns in 1964 and went on to lead the league in rushing eight times out of the nine years he played. With 106 rushing touchdowns and 12,312 rushing yards under his belt, Brown is still amongst the all-time leading running backs to this very day.
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.