A lot of the youngsters reading the name Otto Graham so high up on the list are probably scratching their heads right now and that's ok. Otto Graham played during an era of football where proper head protection was inadequate and the shoulder pad technology wasn't the greatest. However, that didn't stop Graham from being one of the most dominant athletes in professional football throughout the 1940s and '50s. The 6'1 quarterback from Waukegan, Illinois attend Northwestern University of a basketball scholarship but also played football for the private college as well from 1941 to 1943. While in school, the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred and Graham signed up for the United States Coast Guard all the while setting a single-season Big Ten Conference record for completions with 89 in 1942. Prior to playing professional football, Graham also played pro basketball as a member of the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League (NBL).
After being discharged by the Navy in 1946, Otto Graham reported to the Cleveland Browns training camp. In his first season as a starter, Graham led the Browns to a 12-2 record and defeated the New York Yankees in the AAFC Championship. From 1946 to 1949, Graham and the Browns won four consecutive AAFC Championships and even went undefeated in the 1948 season. After the AAFC dissolved in 1949, the Cleveland Browns merged into the NFL and played their first season in the league in 1950. Instantaneously, the Browns came into the league and won their first championship against the Los Angeles Rams. Graham would lead the Browns to three more consecutive championship games but wouldn't another until 1954 and 1955. The 6x Pro Bowler and 3x NFL MVP (1951, 1953, and 1955) called it quits on the game after the 1955 season. Otto Graham passed away at the age of 82 in September 2003, he will always be remembered for dominating the game during his time as a pro football player.
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.