Football fans that are extra critical of the Dallas Cowboys tend to assume that the stars just so happened to align during a time the Cowboys were ascending into greatness regardless of who their quarterback was throughout the 1990s. However, despite the Cowboys having Hall of Fame talent like Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith on their side, Troy Aikman was just as crucial to that team's success as much as any other star was on that Dallas Cowboys' offense. In 1984, Troy Aikman went to the University of Oklahoma to play football despite being contract offers from the New York Mets. Aikman became the first true freshman to start at quarterback for the Sooners since World War II. After suffering a broken ankle in his second season with the Sooners, Aikman transferred to UCLA to finish playing football. As a senior, Aikman won the Davey O'Brien Award and led the Bruins to a victory in the 1989 Cotton Bowl Classic against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
After winning with two prestigious football institutions, Troy Aikman was drafted 1st overall in 1989 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys where he would play his entire twelve-season career. As a starter, Aikman finished his rookie season with a winless record of 0-11, but despite his adversities as a young quarterback, the Cowboys kept faith in Aikman which allowed him to start at the position for all twelve years of his career, the longest streak held by any Dallas Cowboys quarterback. Within those years, Aikman was able to become a 6x Pro Bowler and 3x Super Bowl Champion (XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX). Aikman was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXVII for his four touchdown and 273 passing yard performance. Surprisingly, Aikman was never named First-Team All-Pro during his entire NFL 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.