James Brian Hellwig, who later legally changed his name to Warrior, and was known by his wrestling moniker, The Ultimate Warrior, is another wrestling personality that has transcended recognition just within the sport. Matter of fact, The Ultimate Warrior's popularity increased after his retirement from wrestling over the past decade. The neon tassels, the bright face paint, and the unpredictable monologues allowed him to become one of the biggest wrestling characters of the 1980s and '90s.
Unfortunately, The Ultimate Warrior did struggle with drug abuse, contract disputes, and more throughout his stint in the WWF, which hindered his career. But, Warrior remained in the hearts of fans even though he acted as both a heel and face for the company and ended up taking an absence from the ring as well. Sadly, days after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and 24 hours after making his appearance on WWE RAW in over 18 years, Warrior collapsed while walking to his car with his wife and was pronounced dead April 8, 2014. There isn't much to say other than rest in power to one of the greatest wrestling personas of all-time in The Ultimate Warrior.
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.