24 Celebrities whose millions disappeared
Chris Tucker
This fast-talking comedian made tens of millions in a flash with the blockbuster Rush Hour franchise, but depleted his fortune just as quickly.
After a series of management mistakes throughout the early 2000s, Tucker reportedly ended up owing more than $11 million in taxes for the years 2001 to 2005, though the exact figure is disputed.
The IRS then issued a $2.5million tax lien against him in 2014. Today, he has an estimated net worth of $5 million.
Tucker spent almost a decade out of the spotlight, but has been working to regain some of his fame. He released a stand-up Netflix special in 2015 that was met with mostly positive reviews.
Now, the comedian is set to make his Hollywood comeback having co-starred in the 2023 sports drama, Air, alongside Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. .
Gary Busey
Oscar nominee Gary Busey got his break in the entertainment industry when he rocked the music scene in the ‘70s as a drummer under the pseudonym Teddy Jack Eddy.
After a string of successful Hollywood films, including action films Predator 2, and Point Break, and his Oscar-nominated lead role in The Buddy Holly Story, Busey fell onto hard times.
In 2008, the star got the boot from his Malibu rental due to months of unpaid rent.
Then, in 2012, Busey made headlines again, this time for filing for bankruptcy with more than $500,000 in debt and less than $50,000 in assets — including a hefty chunk owed to the IRS.
His current net worth sits at $500,000.
Toni Braxton
During the ’90s, this Grammy-winning artist generated $170 million from the sales of her first two albums. Yet, two years after the 1996 release of Secrets, she filed for bankruptcy.
The star admitted to an addiction to spending money, but the real problem was that her record label at the time (the now-defunct LaFace Records) was giving her less than 35 cents per album sold.
She ended up suing to terminate her contract.
The tough times weren’t over yet. Braxton self-financed a Las Vegas residency to avoid more financial troubles, but the plan backfired. She was diagnosed with a heart condition and lupus, leaving her unable to perform..
As a result, she didn’t earn enough to pay all the vendors. Braxton filed for bankruptcy a second time in 2010.
Still, her popularity and work ethic have endured. She continues to perform regularly and her net worth sits at$10 million.
