Sam Bradford might be the most disappointing NFL athlete to make the list thus far. While he did have some bright moments throughout his career, Bradford was widely inconsistent making some of his major contract offers undeserving. While he wasn't highly recruited out of high school, he did make his way to the University of Oklahoma (2007-2009) where he instantly made an impact on the field. In 2008. Bradford became the second sophomore ever to win the Heisman Trophy and led the highest-scoring offense in NCAA history throwing for 4,720 yards and scoring 50 touchdowns.
In the 2010 NFL Draft, Sam Bradford was drafted 1st overall by the St. Louis Rams where he signed a record-breaking rookie contract for $78 million, $50 million guaranteed. In 2014, Bradford suffered a torn ACL and was traded to the Eagles where he played a single season for $23.9 million in 2015. Bradford found himself in Minnesota for two seasons and lined his pockets with an additional $25 million. In 2018, Bradford signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals worth $20 million but was released the same year. Bradford is currently a free agent looking to get onto the field.
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.