Ruth Madoff's Life Today Is Pretty Sad

In the late 2000s, Ruth Madoff saw her husband, Bernie Madoff, accused of running one giant Ponzi scheme. He'd reportedly managed to convince thousands of people to hand over their hard-earned money, promising them that he'd make profitable investments and that they'd soon see enormous payoff (via Business Insider). But that's just not what happened. Instead, Bernie, who'd been a respected financier, simply ripped off his clients, stealing billions of their dollars — but it all eventually caught up with him.

Celebrities aren't just famous, they're typically also rich. Everyone assumes that their wealth comes from appearing in movies, TV shows, selling albums, or other obvious means. In reality, a lot of their money comes from other venues. These other forms of revenue usually come from endorsements and advertisements, which is perfectly fine. You'd be surprised at some of the more unconventional, even shady, ways celebrities make bank.

From a distance, the celebrity life seems pretty sweet. Fancy parties, fun jobs, cool perks, and best of all? Huge paychecks. But being one of Hollywood's elite doesn't always go hand in hand with making a lot of money, and famous folks aren't necessarily good at managing their wealth. Whether they spent their money unwisely, filed for bankruptcy, or experienced a lot of unexpected expenses, the bottom lines of these stars may surprise you. Let's crunch the numbers, via Celebrity Net Worth.

Rachel Luna/Getty Images By /Sept. 2, 2020 12:39 pm EDT There are plenty of stars in show business who have a lot of money — and by a lot, we mean …

Stardom is expensive: Celebrities often have big teams to support, from stylists to glam squads to managers to agents to publicists. Then there's the price of keeping up appearances, general living costs, "lifestyle creep," and families to support. And that's not even to mention the cost of business itself: Just because people know your name doesn't mean they'll line your pockets, and celebrities may not always see a return on their investments for some projects.