A defensive end standing at 6'6, weighing in at 295lbs, that has the ability to run a 4.66 40-yard dash is a scary sight. The two-sport high school athlete decided to take his talents to North Carolina State University where he would play three seasons from 2003 to 2005. In those three seasons, Williams set the North Carolina State single-season tackles for loss record with 27.5 and the single-season sacks record with 14.5 in 2005.
After such an impressive performance as a member of the NC State Wolfpack, Mario Williams was selected 1st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans where he played six seasons out of his eleven-season NFL career. Williams racked in a total of $56.5 million from the Texans during his tenure in Houston. In 2012, Williams signed a six-year contract worth $100 million, $49.5 million guaranteed, but had the contract terminated after he was released in 2016. That same year, Williams was signed to the Miami Dolphins for two years, $17 million, but only played one season before being cut. Williams is officially retired but was able to rack in over $120 million throughout his career.
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.