32 celebs who blew their first big paycheck in surprising ways

First splurges of the super-rich

Do you remember what you did with your first big paycheck?

From surprising splurges to wise investments, read on to discover what 32 famous faces spent their money on when they started earning big bucks.

All dollar amounts in US dollars.

Mark Wahlberg

When he first hit the big time, Mark Wahlberg treated himself to a shiny new Mercedes-Benz. However, his flashy purchase left him in a precarious financial situation, as he quickly realized that he didn't have enough left in the bank for insurance or gas.

This early misstep must have taught him how to manage his money better; the actor and producer is now one of the richest stars in Hollywood, with an estimated $400 million net worth.

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton used her first substantial earnings for more humble purposes.

The country crooner, known for her charitable spirit, bought her parents a car, then helped them "fix their house up."

Nicole Kidman

Despite her glamorous lifestyle and multimillion-dollar fortune nowadays, Nicole Kidman had rather modest tastes during her early acting career.

Back when she first started pulling in big checks, her first major purchase was a washing machine for her parents. 

Maria Sharapova

After defeating Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final, Maria Sharapova walked away with a paycheck of $724,000.

Just 17 at the time, the tennis star's first purchase was her dream Louis Vuitton handbag. It turned out to be a rather lame investment, as Sharapova admits she only wore it for a day.

Nicolas Cage

Following the success of his roles in Con Air and Face/Off, Nicolas Cage splashed out on a 1971 Lamborghini Miura SVJ.

He bought the car at auction in 1997 for a cool $450,000. The car's previous owner was the Shah of Iran. 

Taylor Swift

When the superstar singer received her first big payday at just 16, she decided to buy a car. Her chosen vehicle? A Lexus SC430 convertible –the same car that Regina George drives in the movie Mean Girls.

Swift was inspired to buy the car as an act of defiance against the bullies who had made her own school days miserable.

Dave Grohl

When Dave Grohl found fame and fortune in Nirvana, the first thing he did was purchase a beach house in North Carolina.

The Foo Fighters frontman then spent the next few years enjoying a ridiculous amount of barbecue in his new abode. He told Variety: "I just ate pulled pork like crazy from the time I was 22 to about 25 years old."

Barbra Streisand

After her first role in the Broadway show Funny Girl, a 21-year-old Barbra Streisand decided to treat herself to some extravagant furnishings.

Her first purchase was a meticulously decorated German Art Nouveau desk. However, she didn't have anywhere to put the $2,800 piece and had to keep it in storage for some time.

Justin Bieber

After being discovered by Usher, Justin Bieber was thrust into the limelight and began living the life most teenagers dream of.

When he turned 18, he used his millions to purchase his first home, a mansion in California.

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Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin had always dreamed of owning a fur coat as a teen, so on her first big payday, that's exactly what she snapped up.

The Queen of Soul went on to amass a fortune of around $80 million by the time she died in 2018.

Daniel Norris

Baseball star Daniel Norris signed his first professional contract with the Toronto Blue Jays when he was only 18 years old.

He celebrated his new $2 million fortune in an unusually humble way; his first purchase was a $14 shirt from a Converse store. 

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez might be a multimillionaire now, but when she first started out in showbiz she was driving to auditions in an old Honda hatchback.

When she made her first big sum, she decided to upgrade her ride and splashed out on a new Mercedes. 

Chris Rock

When Chris Rock started making good money on the comedy circuit, he decided to treat himself to a flashy car. However, it turned out to be a rather unwise decision.

Rock told Jet magazine in 1997: "It was a red Corvette and cost $45,000. I only made $90,000 that year, hadn't paid taxes yet, and with getting the car insurance and everything, it sort of put me in the hole."

Venus Williams

Venus Williams won her first Grand Slam title at the tender age of 20. The victory was accompanied by a substantial cash prize of $543,000, but the young tennis prodigy decided not to spend the money. 

She told CNBC Make It: "I really didn’t spend any of it. I just didn’t want to become a statistic or one of those athletes who had it all and then, in the end, had nothing."

Serena Williams

Tennis legend Serena Williams has always been cautious with her spending. Just like her sister Venus, she chose to deposit her first big winnings straight into the bank and leave them largely untouched.

Williams was so unconcerned about her prize money in her early days that she even forgot to collect her paychecks.

Kevin Hart

When the comedian started earning a lot as a 24-year-old, he found an expensive hobby. He used his earnings to collect jerseys from sporting legends, whether they be players from basketball, baseball, or football.

He told CNBC Make It that he went for "any and every jersey that was a representation of a great athlete."

Johnny Depp

A 2018 report by Rolling Stone alleged that Depp may have squandered almost all of his $650 million fortune due to his extravagant spending habits and financial mismanagement.

When Depp was still a rising star, the first thing he splurged on was a vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He's owned more than 40 other luxury vehicles since.

Matt Damon

Matt Damon received his first substantial paycheck for his role in the 1990 made-for-TV movie Rising Son, earning a cool $25,000. In a noble gesture, he used the funds to support his family, purchasing a car for his brother and financing his mother's PhD.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Damon reflected on the moment, saying: "That was a really cool feeling."

Chris Pratt

Chris Pratt admitted to struggling with money management early in his career. After receiving $75,000 for his first leading role in a TV movie, he spent it all within two months traveling the world, visiting dream destinations like Hawaii and Australia.

Flat broke after his globetrotting adventures, Pratt returned to living in his van. But despite this setback, he persevered and has since amassed an estimated $100 million fortune from starring in blockbuster franchises such as Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Richard Branson

Richard Branson was enjoying success with Virgin Records when he set his sights on owning one of the British Virgin Islands in 1978. Despite an original asking price of $6 million, he managed to scoop Necker Island for just $180,000 thanks to a desperate owner, on the condition that he build a resort there.

The resort became a haven for celebrities including Kate Moss, Robert De Niro, and even Barack Obama. 

Larry Page

In the early days of Google, co-founder Larry Page was working on the company from his Stanford University dorm room. 

After receiving a $100,000 investment, Page and his co-founder, Sergey Brin, moved their fledgling operation to a friend's garage. One of their first purchases was a ping-pong table.

Shaquille O’Neal

The NBA star went on a huge shopping spree after signing his first contract in 1992. He bought a Mercedes-Benz worth $150,000, followed by one each for his parents, as well as an array of designer jewelry.

His splurge allegedly cost him a total of $1 million in just one hour.

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie's first priority upon achieving success as an actress was to repay her mother, who had borrowed money against her own home to support Robbie's career.

Robbie meticulously recorded every penny her mother gave her. When she finally had enough money saved, she paid off her mother's entire mortgage and proudly told her: "Don’t even worry about that mortgage anymore. It doesn’t exist anymore."

Elon Musk

When the Tesla billionaire sold his first company in 1999, he had the choice of buying a California mansion or his dream car.

The car won, but Musk later admitted he had written off the uninsured McLaren F1 during a joyride with fellow super-rich businessman Peter Thiel.

Mark Cuban

Billionaire businessman and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban splashed out on a true dream purchase as soon as he was rich enough.

He told Money: "When I first really made a lot of money, I bought a plane. That was my all-time goal because the asset I value the most is time, and that bought me time."

Oprah Winfrey

With a current net worth of $3 billion, it's hard to imagine a time when Oprah was cashing her first $1 million check.

Her first purchase was a rather modest one. After snapping a quick photo with the check to commemorate the milestone, she went searching for some "really good fluffy" towels.

Lil Nas X

When Lil Nas X exploded to fame with his hit song Old Town Road, it earned him an estimated $14 million pre-tax, according to Forbes.

The rapper and singer used a portion of the money for a wholesome purpose, taking his entire family bowling to celebrate his success. 

Brad Pitt

He may be one of the richest stars in the world now, but Brad Pitt was once a struggling young actor.

When he got his first movie role and the salary that went with it, he celebrated by upgrading his decor. He told Architectural Digest that his first purchases were a Craftsman chair and a designer lamp. Meanwhile, he used his second paycheck to buy a stereo. 

Bill Gates

With a fortune of $129 billion, Bill Gates can afford any luxury of his fancy. One of his first splurges was a Porsche 911 supercar back in the late 1970s.

He would race around the New Mexico desert late at night and was even arrested for speeding. 

Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy has become one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading men, thanks to his acclaimed performances in Peaky Blinders and Oppenheimer.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Murphy reminisced about his early days in the industry, revealing he used his first big paycheck to purchase either a record player or a sound system, stating: "I think I bought like a record player. Or a sound system, 'cause record players weren't as cool as they are now."

Kirsten Dunst

Former child star Kirsten Dunst scored her big break at the age of 12, starring alongside Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in the 1994 film Interview with the Vampire. Due to her age, her early career earnings went into a college fund. 

However, upon graduating from high school in 2000, Dunst chose not to pursue higher education. Instead, she used the money to purchase a house for her mother. 

George Clooney

When George Clooney first began acting, he lived in an apartment with his friend's grandmother. Clooney used his first acting paycheck to buy a TV for the grandmother.

"I bought her a TV with a remote because she would always have to get up and go and change the channel. So with my first check, I bought her a TV", he told POPSUGAR in a 2022 interview.

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