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Bankrupt! 65 Famous People Who Lost It All

popcrunch.com — We ’ve compiled a list of 65 famous people who found themselves destitute despite once having been extremely well off.

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  • dbldn, on 06/17/2008, -1/+12Dugg For Lenny Bruce.
  • JasonPeck, on 06/17/2008, -0/+13silly mike tyson. spending $400k a month will do that to you buddy
  • spinchange, on 06/17/2008, -2/+49Very Interesting Submission! Here's my recommendation for the list:

    #66 - Robert Morris.
    One of only 2 founding fathers who signed all three early US documents: The Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution. He was also the "financier" of the revolutionary war, and the country's first unofficial treasury secretary (the job wasn't invented yet). Ironically, real estate speculation busted him later in life. He's also considered to be the first person to use the "$" -which stood for the spanish milled dollar at the time -as a symbol for the US dollar in official documents.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Morris_(financ ...
  • headzoo, on 06/17/2008, -1/+12Man, George Clinton is getting screwed pretty hard.
  • emducks, on 06/18/2008, -0/+18Awww, poor Marvin Gaye. :o(
  • CigarJack, on 06/18/2008, -0/+16Well I guess the record companies apparently got bored screwing over musicians so went after fans. Surprising how many musicians are on the list.
  • amanilaenvelope, on 06/18/2008, -9/+5Too legit to quit. too to too le-legit to quit. hammer hammer hammer, stop hammer time.
  • ankeshk, on 06/18/2008, -0/+16Follow the 10% rule that John D Rockefeller taught and you'll never go bankrupt. Save and invest 10% of all your earnings. Doesn't matter if you earn millions like these celebrities or $2000 a month - save and invest 10%!
    • TheMachine1, on 06/18/2008, -0/+9Its more like your level of impulsivity is inversely related to your
      ability to avoid bankruptcy. Get treatment for impulsivity and the rest will naturally fall into place.
      • dmark77, on 06/18/2008, -0/+7Agreed. Getting my spending under control was more about avoiding impulsive purchases then learning how to budget.
      • iiiears, on 06/19/2008, -0/+1“If a man had twenty pounds a year for his income, and spent nineteen pounds nineteen shillings and sixpence, he would be happy, but that if he spent twenty pounds one he would be miserable.” - David Copperfield Author - Charles Dickens
    • bradleyland, on 06/18/2008, -1/+3Avoiding bankruptcy is simple: spend less than you make.

      It has little to do with how much you save. One can easily become insolvent, even if they save or invest 10% of their income. Creditors will give you plenty of rope to hang yourself with; far beyond what 10% of your income can earn. You could put 95% of your income in savings starting today, live beyond your means on credit for 6 months, and still end up bankrupt.

      It's all about cash flow. There's an older (1997?) book called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". The advice it provides is great for entrepreneurs, but it's still applicable if you decide to go the traditional route. If you understand cash flow, and apply what you learn, you'll never go broke.
      • wolferz, on 06/18/2008, -2/+8I'm taking it you have ether a ***** ton of money and you don't really know where all of it is going, or you have some one else paying your bills.

        You can't always have control over how much you spend or how much you earn. People get sick, arms get broken, cars break down. In all these cases people may have to miss work and WILL have to spend money to get back to work. If they were breaking even before they will now be in the hole.

        And you can say "well you shouldn't be spending so close to what your earning any way" but doing that proves that it's not as simple as not spending more than you make... and also proves the point of the parent comment.
        • bradleyland, on 06/20/2008, -0/+1It's interesting that you would think I don't pay my own bills. Nothing could be further from the truth. I don't have a "***** ton" of money, so it is imperative that I understand where my money goes. I certainly live within my means, and that requires that I know where every penny of my money is. I live in a 500 sq ft apartment, and I drive a reasonably priced car that gets good gas mileage. I use coupons when I shop, and I avoid seeing "bargains" as an excuse to buy ***** I don't need. I take every available moment, and every available dollar and put it in to investments that will make money with as little effort as possible.

          It _is_ as simple as spending less than you make. The "point" that the parent comment makes is that saving 10% of your income will somehow solve all your financial problems. Short term credit usage to get "back on your feet" is one thing, but that's not what I'm talking about, and it is not the source of the debt problem in America today.

          Let's say you make $40k/year and you save 10% of your NET income. We'll use a round figure of $250/month in savings. A person at this level of income can easily acquire $50k in available credit. This enables them to spend more than they make, even though they're "saving" 10% of their income. All they have to do is put their additional expenditures on a charge card.

          What's hilarious is the fact that you're sitting 6 diggs while I'm at 2. My financial situation is such that I could stop working right now and still pay my bills for a year, but somehow whining about how hard life is garners more empathy.
        • wolferz, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1You're saying I can spend my money willy nilly AS LONG as I spend at least one penny less than I make. Taken literally that is what your statement say's. Normally I would assume you also mean saving some as well... but your using your claim of "just" spend less than you make as an argument against saving money.

          I'm not whining about how hard life is, just pointing out the absurdity of saying that you can consistently spend up to the amount you make and not run into problems when unexpected expenses pop up. Yea, you can get a line of credit to dig your way out, but then there is the extra burden to pay it back after wards... which can be avoided by simply saving money ahead of time instead.
    • EntropyFan, on 06/18/2008, -1/+2The site is down so I can't confirm this, but I'll guess bad investments are what ruined some of these folks.
  • TheMachine1, on 06/18/2008, -0/+4 Randy Quaid was sort of like the character he played "Cousin Eddie" in "National Lampoon's Vacation".
  • dinobot, on 06/18/2008, -0/+6Am I supposed to feel sorry for 'em?
  • BoonTobias, on 06/18/2008, -6/+9166. Kevin Rose - Shortly after taking his company public, he spent all his new found cash on hookers and cocaine. He was last seen evading reporters asking him about the glorious days of 09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0
  • chrissku, on 06/18/2008, -0/+28A common theme is 1) make a lot of money 2) declare bankruptcy 3) make a lot of money again.

    They are not paying back those who got the shaft from the bankruptcy when they get rich again.

  • samoan27, on 06/18/2008, -0/+28This list could have been a lot shorter and a lot more entertaining if they stuck with "People who lost it all." Instead of "People who were bankrupt before they made it big."
  • str3ama, on 06/18/2008, -0/+7Most of the people on that list squandered their money foolishly so you really can't feel sorry for them.

    The weird part of this article is the nice plug for credit cards on page 2 - "Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, ran up a world of debt while in college and dependent on credit cards." Credit cards is an ad link to get a credit card - what a bad plug - get into serious debt by spreading it across your credit cards- oh btw here's where you can get that credit card.
  • joephysco, on 06/18/2008, -0/+3dugg for great justice.
  • casspa, on 06/18/2008, -0/+4Dugg for Francis Ford....I love spending upwards of $30/bottle every time I try his wine
  • scoreboard27, on 06/18/2008, -0/+9Life comes at you fast.
  • Odenized, on 06/18/2008, -0/+5Ahh, Gary Coleman. You wish the best for a person of that stature, and he really had it going...It's too bad the pressures of the limelight really will bare-down on some people.
  • thatguyfred, on 06/18/2008, -1/+3
    • Ortheos, on 06/19/2008, -0/+1Stupid people who lost it all yet somehow still have more than your average digger will earn in a lifetime..
  • manstein01, on 06/18/2008, -1/+6Another title : "List of 65 morons who will make you feel better about yourself."
  • duniyadnd, on 06/18/2008, -0/+3Link isn't loading - I miss duggmirror
    • krellor, on 06/18/2008, -2/+21. Benedict ArnoldBenedict Arnold
      Benedict Arnold fought on the American side of the Revolutionary War but didn’t get the attention he felt he deserved so he switched to the British side. He went bankrupt after the war when a failed financial venture caused him to lose everything.

      2. P.T. BarnumP T Barnum
      P.T. Barnum is best known for being half of the “Barnum & Bailey Circus” but he actually didn’t get into that until he was 61-years-old. He first opened a museum in New York City showcasing nature’s oddities like Tom Thumb who was only 2 feet 9 inches tall. He also put a bunch of dough into the development of East Bridgeport, Connecticut and went bankrupt when that didn’t work out. He bounced back in four years and got into the circus business.

      3. Kim BasingerKim Basinger
      Kim Basinger had to file for bankruptcy in 1993 when a judge ordered the actress to pay Main Line Pictures $8.1 million because she had backed out of a verbal commitment to star in the film Boxing Helena. She had to sell her $20 million investment in Braselton, in her native Georgia and only received $1 million for it. She later appealed the ruling, reached an out-of-court settlement and went on to her well-known role in L.A. Confidential a few years later.

      4. George BestGeorge Best
      George Best had a prolific career playing soccer starting, when he was 17-years-old, with the Manchester United team in 1963. He played soccer until 1984 and unfortunately fell into a life of alcoholism, which eventually caused liver problems and his eventual death. He declared bankruptcy in 1982 after he tried to get treatment for alcoholism and was discharged from bankruptcy in 1992.

      5. John Wayne BobbittJohn Wayne Bobbitt
      John Wayne Bobbitt is best known for having his penis sliced off by his angry wife in 1993. Luckily, after a 12-hour surgery his penis was sewed back on but Bobbitt couldn’t handle the mounting doctors bills and had to declare bankruptcy. He made a come back by getting into porn but he can’t seem to stay out of trouble. (He’s been arrested more than seven times for offenses ranging from assault to grand larceny.)

      6. Lorraine BraccoLorraine Bracco
      Lorraine Bracco played the mob-psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi in the HBO hit The Sopranos. The popularity of the show helped her dig herself out of debt after she filed for bankruptcy in 1999. Bracco found herself in a five-year legal battle with ex-Harvey Keitel over custody of their daughter Stella. The legal fees and taxes were substantial and the cause for her bankruptcy.

      7. Toni BraxtonToni Braxton
      Toni Braxton sold over 15 million albums in the years leading up to her 1998 filing for bankruptcy and some believe she filed so she could get out of her recording contract with record label LaFace. When she filed, Braxton was $3.9 million in debt and all of her household possessions, including the two Grammys she was awarded in 1997 were priced to sell so she could pay off her creditors. Despite her conflict with her label, she signed a new contract in 1999 worth $25 million with them.

      8. Lenny BruceLenny Bruce
      Lenny Bruce loved to shock audiences as a comedian and was constantly in trouble on obscenity charges. He was blacklisted from nearly every comedy club in the United States near the end of his life but it was the trial in 1961, in which he was in trouble for saying “*****”, that caused him to go bankrupt. He ended up dying at age 40 from a morphine overdose and in 2007, was granted a posthumous pardon for his obscenity conviction by New York Governor George Pataki. Bruce would be blown away by what people can get away with today.

      9. Buffalo BillBuffalo Bill
      Buffalo Bill organized his “Wild West Show” in the late 1800’s and went on to become quite wealthy. Even though he made millions touring the country, he was also very generous and gave away so much money that he had to file for bankruptcy in 1914. He died bankrupt in 1917 and was buried on Lookout Mountain.

      10. Tia CarrereTia Carrere
      Tia Carrere, best known for her role in Wayne’s World, filed for bankruptcy in 1986 in an attempt to escape her contract with General Hospital so she could join the cast of A Team. Apparently the soap was no longer giving Carrere enough work and was forcing her to go into bankruptcy. She lost the suit and the respect of her fellow cast mates on the show. Carrere blames her young age for the reason that she was so irresponsible with her money.

      11. George ClintonGeorge Clinton
      George Clinton has been called one of the most important innovators of funk music and was prevented from profiting from the songs he wrote between 1976 and 1983. This is because when he filed for bankruptcy in 1984, he didn’t disclose them as a source of possible future income. It’s estimated that he’s losing out on royalties in the ballpark of $100 million!

      12. Gary ColemanGary Coleman
      Gary Coleman filed for bankruptcy in 1999 and cited long-term medical problems and mismanagement of his funds as the reason. Coleman stayed out of the limelight after his bankruptcy until a recent secret marriage followed by an appearance on TV’s Divorce Court.

      13. Francis Ford CoppolaFrancis Ford Coppola
      Responsible for directing the Godfather trilogy and winner of five Academy Awards before he was 40, Francis Ford Coppola was $300,000 in debt before the first Godfather movie came out. He then was able to rebound but began bankruptcy proceedings after his 1982 musical One From The Heart tanked. Luckily, he borrowed the money from his mother to get into the wine business and again turned his financial future around.

      14. David CrosbyDavid Crosby
      David Crosby, a member of the group Crosby, Stills & Nash, filed for bankruptcy in 1985 after his solo career cooled down. He is still recording music and his third solo album was released in 2006.

      15. Walt DisneyWalt Disney
      Walt Disney’s name is synonymous with Mickey Mouse and the “happiest place on earth,” Disneyland. However, Disney’s career wasn’t always a moneymaking venture. In 1921, he began a company called the Laugh-O-Gram Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri but was forced to file for bankruptcy two years later because his financial backers pulled out. It must have been fate because Disney then headed to Hollywood and became one of the highest paid animators in history.

      16. Jim DooleyJim Dooley
      Jim Dooley played for the NFL’s Chicago Bears from 1952 until he retired in 1962 and switched to coaching. Dooley sat out of the 1973 NFL season and landed a job one week after filing for bankruptcy. At that point, he was nearly half a million dollars in debt but rebounded by taking a job as a sales manager and ended up back with the Bears in 1981 as an offensive consultant.

      17. William C. DurantWilliam C. Durant
      William C. Durant founded General Motors, Chevrolet and Durant Motors. Durant Motors was established in 1921 but unfortunately failed in 1933 after the Great Depression. Durant filed for bankruptcy in 1936 being $914,231 in debt and lived out the rest of his life managing a bowling alley in Flint, Michigan.

      18. Mick FleetwoodMick Fleetwood
      Mick Fleetwood, an original member of the band Fleetwood Mac, filed for bankruptcy in 1984 and it was rumored that it was due to an addiction to cocaine. Fleetwood claims the real reason is because he purchased too much real estate and ran out of money.

      19. Heidi FleissHeidi Fleiss
      The “Hollywood Madam”, Heidi Fleiss, filed for bankruptcy in 1999 after being released from jail. She served 21 months for her connection with her prostitution ring, which included charges of pandering and tax evasion. But don’t worry, she’s doing great now. She runs a 24-hour Laundromat called Dirty Laundry in Pahrump, Nevada and is working on opening a legal brothel for women.

      20. Zsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa Gabor
      Zsa Zsa Gabor had to file for bankruptcy after a catfight ended in a libel suit against her. Supposedly, it began when actress Elke Sommer said that Gabor had a big butt and Gabor responded by telling the press that Sommer’s career was washed up. The suit came because Gabor’s husband at the time said that Sommer had said, “All German men are pigs.” Who knew that courts listened to ridiculous cases like this but the joke was on Gabor because she had to file for bankruptcy.

      21. Leif GarrettLeif Garrett
      Leif Garrett’s career dried up pretty much after he hit puberty and he was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2001. At the time, he said that his only steady source of income was the $1,000 per month allowance from his mother.

      22. Marvin GayeMarvin Gaye
      Marvin Gaye had to file for bankruptcy in 1976 after a court ruling promised the $600,000 in royalties from his next album to his ex-wife to make up for overdue alimony payments. The album was titled Here, My Dear and detailed the personal details of his rocky marriage. He moved to Europe in 1981 and lived out a tumultuous remaining three years until his father shot him to death in 1984.

      23. Ulysses S. GrantUlysses s grant
      Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, became a partner in a financial firm which went bankrupt. Dying from throat cancer, Grant wrote a memoir to pay off his debts.

      24. Archie GriffinArchie Griffin
      Archie Griffin is college football’s only two-time Heisman trophy winner and played for Ohio State University from 1972-1975. Unfortunately, he had to file for bankruptcy in 1981 after an investment in six athletic shoe stores failed and caused him to have debts of $519,568.

      25. Corey HaimCorey Haim
      Corey Haim was one of the “two Coreys” that climbed to heartthrob status after appearing in a number of films in the 1980s. In 1997, years of drug problems took their toll and caused Haim to file for bankruptcy. He listed his only assets as his 10-year-old BMW, $100 in cash and royalties and residuals valued at $7,500.

      26. Dorothy HamillDorothy Hamill
      Dorothy Hamill was the 1976 National, World and Olympic champion and moved on after that to the Ice Capades. She purchased the struggling company and tried to get it going again but she had to sell in 1995 and filed for bankruptcy herself in 1996.

      27. MC HammerMC Hammer
      MC Hammer was “too legit to quit” in the late 80’s and early 90’s but then headed to bankruptcy court in 1996 $13.7 million in debt. Hammer aka Stanley Burrell let his quick rise to fame encourage a new and lavish lifestyle like a $30 million mansion and a $500,000-a-month payroll. He is now a preacher, a television host and hopefully still wears the Hammer pants around the house.

      28. Isaac HayesIsaac Hayes
      Isaac Hayes is known by many as the voice of “Chef” on South Park and made a stink when he left the show because of how they chose to make fun of Scientology. (Apparently all the other topics and people the show made fun of were OK but they crossed the line with Scientology.) Hayes also wrote and performed music back in the 60’s and 70’s and had to file for bankruptcy in 1976. His record label went broke and since they owed over $6 million, so did he. He lost his house, most of his personal property and the rights to future royalties from all his music.

      29. Milton Snavely HersheyMilton Snavely Hershey
      Milton Snavely Hershey founded Hershey’s Foods Corporation in 1903 but didn’t find success immediately in life. Hershey dropped out of school after 4th grade, because his family moved around a lot, and got an apprenticeship as a printer. He wasn’t keen on the business and tried his hand at candy. His first four attempts failed and forced him to file for bankruptcy but his fifth resulted in a major corporation that’s doing pretty darn good to this day.

      30. Perez HiltonPerez Hilton
      Perez Hilton, not to be confused with heiress Paris Hilton, is an Internet blogger who loves to shake up the world of celeb gossip on his website PerezHilton.com. Hilton, real name Mario Lavandeira, ran up a world of debt while in college and dependent on credit cards. He was more than $50,000 in debt when he filed for bankruptcy in 2005.

      31. Ronald IsleyRonald Isley
      The lead singer of the Isley Brothers, Ronald Isley, 66, declared bankruptcy in 1997 after the IRS seized his yacht, cars and other property. He was discharged four years later but didn’t file tax returns for five years. He is currently serving a 37-month sentence in Indiana for five counts of tax evasion and one count of failing to file a tax return.

      32. LaToya JacksonLaToya Jackson
      La Toya Jackson is supposedly the “crazy” member of the Jackson clan but I’m sure many would argue otherwise. She tried the whole singing thing in the form of a solo career but didn’t find much success and had to file for bankruptcy in 1995. She was on TV for the reality show Armed and Famous in 2007 and went through an emotional therapeutic attempt to relieve her of her phobia of cats.

      33. Don JohnsonDon JOhnson
      Don Johnson, of Miami Vice fame, filed for bankruptcy in 2004 to save his $20 million Pitkin County ranch in Colorado from being sold at auction. He was able to save his ranch and later paid off his debts including $930,000 to City National Bank and $7,345 to Aspen Valley Hospital.

      34. Margot KidderMargot Kidder
      Margot Kidder’s fame is mainly thanks to her role of Lois Lane in the Superman films opposite Christopher Reeve but unfortunately her career went downhill after that. She was badly injured in an accident in the late 80’s and was also diagnosed at manic-depressive. She refused treatment for either predicament until two years after the accident, when she decided to
    • krellor, on 06/18/2008, -2/+134. Margot KidderMargot Kidder
      Margot Kidder’s fame is mainly thanks to her role of Lois Lane in the Superman films opposite Christopher Reeve but unfortunately her career went downhill after that. She was badly injured in an accident in the late 80’s and was also diagnosed at manic-depressive. She refused treatment for either predicament until two years after the accident, when she decided to go through with the surgery needed. Kidder’s insurance didn’t cover the surgery and she sold her house and her jewelry and declared bankruptcy in 1992.

      35. Larry KingLarry King
      Larry King has interviewed over 30,000 people during his career but his rise to fame for radio work in the 60’s derailed him financially. He was in debt $352,000, charged with grand larceny and accused of stealing $5,000 from a business partner. The charges were dropped but he struggled to get back on his feet and ended up claiming bankruptcy in 1978.

      36. Suge KnightSuge Knight
      Suge Knight filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and had $11 dollars in his bank account at the time. Lydia Harris was suing him for $107 million because she claimed to have been cheated out of a 50% stake in Death Row Records even though Knight claims they settled the matter for $1 million. Neilson is operating Death Row Records during the bankruptcy proceedings so Knight can focus on getting back on his feet financially.

      37. Cyndi LauperCyndi Lauper
      Before her hit song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” came out, Cyndi Lauper was in a group called Blue Angel with John Turi. The band broke up after a record flopped and their manager at the time sued them for $80,000. Lauper was forced into bankruptcy in 1980 but recovered quickly and became an 80’s icon.

      38. Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis
      Jerry Lee Lewis is the only musician to have two songs go to number one on the charts in all fields of music: Pop, Country and R&B. Unfortunately his career took a nosedive after that and in 1988 he filed for bankruptcy with $3 million of debt and no assets.

      39. Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln
      The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, declared bankruptcy in 1833 and spent 17 years of his paying off the money that he borrowed from friends to start his business. It took Lincoln 30 years to achieve his goal of becoming President of the United States.

      40. Meat LoafMeat Loaf
      Meat Loaf’s 1977 album Bat Out of Hell still sells around 200,000 copies a year and you may also recognize him from roles in Fight Club and The Rocky Horror Picture Show but in 1983 he wasn’t doing so well and had to declare bankruptcy. He was $1.6 million in debt at the time.

      41. Lisa “Left Eye” Lopeslisa left eye lopes
      Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, one-third of the 90’s group TLC and soared to success when their CD “CrazySexyCool” sold over 15 million records worldwide. In 1994, she hit headlines by herself for torching her boyfriend, Andre Rison’s house after a fight. In 1995, she declared bankruptcy due to poor royalties and a debt owed for breach of contract.

      42. William McKinleyWilliam McKinley
      William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, found himself $130,000 in debt after he co-signed on a loan for a friend and the friend went bankrupt.

      43. Willie NelsonWillie Nelson
      Willie Nelson declared bankruptcy in 1990 and claimed to owe the IRS $16.7 million. The IRS seized his bank accounts and real estate that he had in six states and in turn Nelson released an album titled “The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories?” to pay them what he owed.

      44. Wayne NewtonWayne Newton
      The Las Vegas crooner, Wayne Newton, found himself in more than $20 million in debt in 1992 and was forced to file for bankruptcy. Luckily, he found his way out of debt in Vegas: performing at the Stardust hotel not at the craps table

      45. Ted NugentTed Nugent
      Guitar player Ted Nugent found himself bankrupt in 1980 because of several failed business ventures and poor management but continued to tour and crank out albums well into the 21st century. He’s now on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association and sells his own beef jerky called Gonzo Meat Biltong.

      46. Thomas PaineThomas Paine
      Thomas Paine, known for the pamphlet Common Sense, greatly benefited from his move to America in 1774. He was broke and facing bankruptcy and to top it off, his second marriage had just ended, so moving across the ocean was a logical next move.

      47. Tom PettyTom Petty
      Tom Petty filed for bankruptcy in May of 1979 after a legal dispute when ABC Records was sold to MCA Records. Petty refused to be transferred to another record label without his consent and ended up signed with Backstreet Records which was a new MCA subsidiary.

      48. Bud PostBud Post
      Bud Post is the 66-year-old who won the lottery in 1988 for $16.2 million and was bankrupt eight years later. Apparently quite a few people came out of the woodwork to ask their old pal Bud to give them money since he was now stinking rich. He spent everything he had buying homes, three cars, a truck, two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, two 62-inch Sony TVs, a camper, computers and a boat among other things. He died in 2006, miserable and broke. I guess money doesn’t always buy happiness.

      49. Tammy WynetteTammy Wynette
      Country music singer, Tammy Wynette, was forced into bankruptcy as a result of an investment in two Florida malls going sour.


      50. Susan PowterSusan Powter
      Susan Powter wrote three books in the 1990s, which became New York Times best sellers, and made Powter the diet and exercise go-to girl.(”Stop the Insanity!”) The crew-cutted, bleach blonde Powter filed for bankruptcy in 1995 because legal fees “have wiped me out.”

      51. Randy QuaidRandy Quaid
      Randy Quaid is known for his role as Cousin Eddie in the Vacation film series and is Dennis Quaid’s big brother. His wife directed him in the 1999 movie The Debtors but unfortunately it was never released and the couple had to file for bankruptcy because they were $1 million in debt.

      52. RembrandtREmbrandt
      Rembrandt went bankrupt in 1656 and his house and collections were auctioned. Unfortunately, the money raised wasn’t enough to cover his debt so he set up an art-dealing business to keep his creditors at bay.

      53. Tommy RettigTommy Rettig
      Tommy Rettig portrayed the character “Jeff Miller” in the popular Lassie TV series from 1954 to 1957 and went down a similar path that many child actors tread. He got into drugs and went bankrupt as a result of being unable to find work as an adult actor

      54. Burt ReynoldsBurt Reynolds
      Burt Reynolds was $10 million in debt when he filed for bankruptcy after his 1996 divorce. He went on to win a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in the movie Boogie Nights.

      55. Mickey RooneyMickey Rooney
      Mickey Rooney filed for bankruptcy in 1996 because he owed over $1.75 million to the IRS.

      56. Anna Nicole SmithAnna Nicole Smith
      Anna Nicole Smith was ordered to pay $850,000 to an employee for a judgment against her for sexual harassment in 1996 and since she had yet to be given any of her late husband’s billions, she had to file for bankruptcy.

      57. Dee SniderDee Snider
      Dee Snider, lead singer of Twisted Sister, went bankrupt in the late 90’s after he was unable to follow the success of his 80’s career with a band that sold records.

      58. Lynn SpearsLynn Spears
      Lynn Spears and her husband filed for bankruptcy in 1998 right before her daughter, Britney, became a superstar.

      59. Sheryl SwoopesSheryl Swoopes
      Sheryl Swoopes, a three-time Olympic gold medallist and three-time MVP of the WNBA, filed for bankruptcy in 2004 reportedly owing $711,050. She blamed mismanagement of her money as the cause.

      60. Lawrence TaylorLawrence Taylor
      Lawrence Taylor played for the New York Giants from 1981 to 1993 and then substance abuse took over his life. He was arrested in 1998 for failing to pay child support and had to file for bankruptcy because of the high amount that he owed to support his kids each year. He was still voted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1999 despite his personal problems and has been clean ever since.

      61. Donald TrumpDonald Trump
      Donald Trump found himself $900 million in debt in 1990 and lost a lot of his business ventures but somehow restructured his debt to be back on top running a billion-dollar empire.

      62. Mark TwainMark Twain
      Mark Twain went bankrupt in 1894 thanks to bad investments, especially in new inventions, and his publishing house going under. Twain went on an around-the-world lecture tour to pay of his creditors and did so in full in 1898.

      63. Mike TysonMike Tyson
      Mike Tyson earned a reported $300 million in his boxing career but it somehow wasn’t enough for his lavish lifestyle. He filed for bankruptcy in 2003 owing a debt of $27 million. Tyson’s lifestyle cost $400,000 a month to maintain and during his divorce, he paid $9 million in legal fees alone.

      64. Oscar WildeOscar Wilde
      Oscar Wilde, in trouble for “gross indecencies,” was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1895 and lost some of his prized possessions including first editions of his own books. After serving his prison term, his friends helped him to bring his estate out of bankruptcy.

      65. Ray WinstoneRay Winstone
      Ray Winstone started his acting career with a riveting performance in the 1979 movie Scum. Unfortunately, he had trouble after that getting work and forced into bankruptcy at the end of the 80’s. He was most recently seen in Beowulf and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
  • manacit2, on 06/18/2008, -0/+10Mirror?
  • shibyness, on 06/18/2008, -8/+0- Why do my eyes hurt?
    -Because you are using them for the first time

    Welcome to the real world
    • santaliqueur, on 06/18/2008, -1/+5This is not 1999, and your post is not relevant.
  • CYG101, on 06/18/2008, -0/+16The server just went bankrupt :(
  • ItsMyWii, on 06/18/2008, -2/+3Dugg for M.C. Hammer.
  • alwilson, on 06/18/2008, -1/+1This doesn't belong on the front page if you can't access the site.
  • Fawkes, on 06/18/2008, -2/+7If I ever get real rich, I hope I'm not real mean to poor people, like I am now.
  • hollywoodphony, on 06/18/2008, -0/+5I stopped reading this list of "famous people" when I got to John Wayne Bobbitt.
    • MyFreakinEars, on 06/18/2008, -1/+1Well he did sorta lose "it" all....lucky for him (but not anyone else on this list) doctors were able to sew "it" all back on. I always thought the doctors should have put it back on differently a la goonies.
  • xoticpt, on 06/18/2008, -8/+5OK, can DIGG invent an ACCURATE way to capture a site if it's going to be on the front page? How hard is it? Or if your going to get submitted to DIGG please make sure your SQL database is setup right so it doesn't max out at 100 connections.

    http://www.duggmirror.com
    • mattcoady, on 06/18/2008, -0/+1When will we get a dugg mirror mirror...
  • TomT223, on 06/18/2008, -3/+12I got a job for Kim Basinger
    • dmark77, on 06/18/2008, -0/+3I think she might still be afraid to leave the house.
    • RickLeeFS, on 06/18/2008, -0/+1"I got a job for Kim Basinger" You did? What was it?
  • dOOBiEx213, on 06/18/2008, -21/+7Mirror:
    http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/Mirro ...
    • xoticpt, on 06/18/2008, -0/+4Yes that is a mirror.
    • StefanArak, on 06/18/2008, -2/+0A picture of the TIME magazine's person of the year 2006?
  • sinisa10, on 06/18/2008, -1/+3server is still down
  • orlyfactor, on 06/18/2008, -0/+5My schadenfreude gland is going crazy!
  • jmlambe, on 06/18/2008, -0/+3And down...
  • HenryLegge, on 06/18/2008, -6/+0Dugg for the hot girl in the picture, although boob job much?
  • jeffgtr, on 06/18/2008, -0/+4I thought this was an interesting and timely topic, of course the link in Digg is down so I Googled it and came across this list. It's a bankruptcy attorney's site though. I look through this list and think of all the people that have lost it all due to the floods and hard times due to the economy and will soon have to file. I think the thing to take away from this is that even though you hit rock bottom it isn't the end. Anyway, here's the list I found http://www.seattle-washington-bankruptcy-lawyer.co ... while the server lasts that is.

    Then of course there is this guy http://www.uberreview.com/2006/02/man-goes-bankrup ...
    • MLisa, on 06/18/2008, -0/+1THANKS for taking the time to do this!
    • munawarali2, on 06/18/2008, -0/+1That's pretty wild. He did a good job. He's still as wacky as a loon, but it's still a nice mock-up.
  • louiebaur, on 06/18/2008, -0/+3down
  • Fast05GT, on 06/18/2008, -0/+3Mirror?
  • jaysonp, on 06/18/2008, -2/+40still no mirror? ***** it, We’ll Do It Live!!!
  • yosserhughes, on 06/18/2008, -6/+1I was in a car dealership in Vegas about 12 years ago, and Tyson came in and bought three Bentley convertibles for his 'friends' at $325,000 each.

    Paid cash too.
  • MLisa, on 06/18/2008, -0/+3As regards to MC Hammer: A lot of his $$ went to his dad's debts. Even more went into buying race horses.
    • blackinthmiddle, on 06/18/2008, -0/+2A lot also went to making his posse happy.
  • Triterion, on 06/18/2008, -0/+6I saw Tia Carrere at this party at a studio where I used to work. Her husband was the photographer there. I wouldn't say she lost everything, she's just not rich anymore. Like us regular people, but damn was she hot. I just stood there with my mouth gaping open and she smiled at me and walked by... woah...
  • myass666mlong, on 06/18/2008, -0/+2FUKIN SERVER
  • gemmini, on 06/18/2008, -0/+2mirror please?
  • PresRob, on 06/18/2008, -0/+1The last guy on the list, Durant? Wasn't he involved in the attempted coup in 1934 with General Bulter? If so, hope he spent his last days eating dog food and recycled beer.
  • amiga5000, on 06/18/2008, -0/+5Mirror
    http://www.popcrunch.com.nyud.net:8080/bankrupt-65 ...
  • rpfinley, on 06/18/2008, -1/+1Should have been your Hillary
  • bblande, on 06/18/2008, -0/+1Too many clicks for my taste.
  • shibainu, on 06/18/2008, -0/+1remember the guy who piloted airwolf????

    stringfellow hawk. i forgot the actors name but he is a wreck now.
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