The lifestyles of the rich and famous mean that they can make way more extreme purchases than us normal people. However, sometimes celebrities spend outrageous amounts on all kinds of things. From private islands to costly wine, you won’t believe what celebrities spend their money on!
After you see these purchases, maybe you won’t feel so badly about your own “frivolous spending,” because, after all, you didn’t buy a solid gold bathtub or a pricy humidifier! Read on to find out exactly who bought what and why.
Let's begin...
Johnny Depp: $30,000 in Wine
When Johnny Depp sued his former business managers for financial mismanagement, they countersued. That’s when the money dirt came out. In the suit, they alleged that Depp’s inability to keep his spending under control caused his money troubles. Details in the lawsuit revealed that Depp spends $2 million a month, including a jaw-dropping amount on wine.
Johnny D7epp: $30,000 in Wine
Documents show that the actor spends $30,000 a month on fine wine and that Depp even flies the wine from France to his movie sets! Even more amazing? He spent $3 million to shoot the ashes of Hunter S. Thompson out of a cannon. Why? We have no idea. But it apparently was worth spending millions to do.
Mel Gibson: A Private Island in Fiji
Sure celebs like to own property, especially when they have endless amounts of money, but an island? That’s a whole new class of spending. Mel Gibson is one such island owner, and he spent a cool $9million to buy it. The property, named Mago Island, is located in Fiji and is 5400 acres.
Mel Gibson: A Private Island in Fiji
Gibson bought the island in 2005 from a Japanese company right after his blockbuster The Passion of the Christ was released in theaters. The island isn’t available for rent as far as we know, and it’s one of the biggest private islands in the South Pacific.
Tom Cruise: A Personal Sonogram Machine
When Tom Cruise was married to Katie Holmes, he decided to give her a special gift when she was pregnant. That gift? A sonogram machine. The actor purchased a sonogram machine so they could see their developing baby right in the privacy of their own home. The medical community was pretty shocked by the purchase and the state of California actually made a law based on it!
Tom Cruise: A Personal Sonogram Machine
The California Assembly passed bill AB2360 to stop anyone but a licensed technician from owning an ultrasound machine -- sorry, now owning your own ultrasound is a mission impossible. How do you think Katie felt?
Mike Tyson: A $2.3 Million Gold Bathtub
Mike Tyson has always made interesting decisions, especially when it came to his finances. The heavyweight champion filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and fans were left wondering how such a boxing icon could have fallen so far into debt. When you look at his spending, you see the answer.
Mike Tyson: A $2.3 Million Gold Bathtub
One outrageous purchase Tyson made? A 24K solid gold bathtub for first wife Robin Givens. The tub cost $2.3 million and was a birthday gift, but the marriage didn’t last. He only ended up getting $1.2 when he later sold it. What would such a tub even feel like?
Kanye West: A Fleet of Stylists
Kanye West has a big personality but what else does he have? Big spending habits! The rapper has publicly revealed on Twitter that he had millions in debt, and it’s no wonder why. He reportedly spent more than $250,000 to have Kim Kardashian’s stylist, makeup artist and hairdresser available to make her glam at all hours.
Kanye West: A Fleet of Stylists
Reports say that even had hop on a private jet anytime Kim needed to look her best no matter where she was in the world. Well, Kim is photographed every minute of every day, so it was probably a necessary expense to him.
Kate Moss: A Gold Vibrator
Kate Moss was one of the world’s wealthiest models back in 2006 when she decided she needed a gold vibrator. The Jimmyjane “Little Something” vibrator came in 24K gold and cost $425. Just in case you were wondering - and you were - there’s no extra special speeds or functions involved.
Kate Moss: A Gold Vibrator
It’s just regular gold-plating, which means it looks beautiful but also has a tendency to scratch or bend easily. As for cleaning… there was no information on how one would maintain a gold vibe. The Jimmyjane Little Something also comes in silver ($334) and platinum.
Bono: Plane Ticket for His Hat
Bono had a very specific problem: he had left his favorite Trilby hat behind while performing at Luciano Pavarotti's charity concert in Italy. Not satisfied with having the hat shipped back to him, Bono contacted British Airways and explained what he was after: a special seat for his hat. Bono paid $150 for a taxi ride for the hat so it had a smooth ride to the airport.
He then spent nearly $700 on a plane ticket to England. The hat had its very own comfortable first-class seat on the plane. Bono then shelled out $300 for a taxi ride home for the special cap. Celebrities: they’re just like us!
Nicholas Cage: Dinosaur Skull
Nicolas Cage is known for his extravagances and his kooky habits. In 2007, he purchased a dinosaur skull for $276,000 from a Los Angeles art gallery. The Tyrannosaurus bataar skull went up for auction, and Cage had to outbid other heavy hitters, including Leonardo DiCaprio, for the privilege of owning the Mongolian skull.
Nicholas Cage: Dinosaur Skull
However, Cage got more than he bargained for when the U.S. attorney in Manhattan filed a civil forfeiture complaint in 2015 seeking to take the skull back, since it had been stolen from Mongolia by a smuggler described as a "one-man black market in prehistoric fossils." Cage promptly returned the T-Rex skull.
George Lucas: Fire Brigade
No one is quite sure how much money George Lucas spent on his personal fire brigade. But the reason he needed it was to protect his $100 million investment in Skywalker Ranch, his Nicasio, California home and production studio. The massive studio is for story development, research, editing and sound recording.
George Lucas's Fire brigade
Lucas hired 12 full-time firefighters to protect the property and the surrounding area. He pays their salary and benefits in exchange for their safety and security services on the 235 acres. The Skywalker Ranch Fire Safety Department also helps supplement services in the township. The highly-trained firefighters also get training in EMT and police procedures.
Celine Dion: $2 million Humidifier
When you are “the greatest singer in the world,” you can be forgiven for having a few indulgences. However, Celine Dion chose not to spend her hard-earned money on fancy boats or cars. She opted for a special $2 million humidifier that she takes with her everywhere. Why?
Celine Dion's $2 million humidifier
She said it protects her voice and ensures her vocal cords are taken care of. No word on what substance comes out of the humidifier to make it worth $2 million. Perhaps it is not just water and Vicks, non?
Lady Gaga: Electromagnetic Ghost Detector
When there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call…? Lady Gaga!?! Apparently, Lady Gaga is terrified by ghosts and believes in malevolent spirits. She even believes she is the former spirit of her dead aunt. She purchased an electromagnetic ghost detector to help her determine if she’s being chased by a ghost named Ryan who apparently has it in for her.
Lady Gaga: Electromagnetic Ghost Detector
On the road, Gaga hires paranormal investigators to verify that her rooms are free of bad juju. Perhaps that’s why she was a natural fit for the TV show “American Horror Story.”
Kim Basinger: Braselton, Georgia
One of the most infamous entries in the follies of the rich and famous was Kim Basinger’s purchase of the entire town of Braselton Georgia in 1989. The Hollywood starlet bought the tiny town and everything in it for $20 million, which she and investors planned to develop. However, this Hollywood dream turned into a nightmare when Basinger was sued by New Line Pictures after Basinger breached her contract to appear in the movie “Boxing Helena.”
Kim Basinger bought a twon!! Braselton, Georgia
Basinger lost an $8.1 million jury verdict and then filed for bankruptcy protection. This left the tiny bank and tiny hardware store and many of the town’s inhabitants in the lurch. Basinger had to sell the town at a huge loss.
Katy Perry: A Ticket to the Galaxy
Back when Katy Perry was engaged to comedian Russell Brand, she surprised him with a $200,000 ticket on Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Space Fleet. The tickets became a hot item with celebrities Virgin promised that riders on the first commercial space fleet would go 365,000 feet above the earth, where they would enjoy panoramic views of the earth and experience five minutes of weightlessness, all at three times the speed of sound.
Katy Perry: A Ticket to the Galaxy
The couple eventually married and divorced. As for Virgin Galactic, it continued to sell tickets to people like Ashton Kutcher but has still yet to make any flights with passengers.
Kelly Rowland: Swarovski-Crystal-Studded Baby Bathtub
It may not cost as much as some of the other times on the list, but if your idea of baby gear doesn’t include a crystal-studded baby bathtub you probably aren’t a celebrity. When the world was awaiting the birth of Beyonce’s first child with Jay-Z, she, of course, had several lavish baby showers.
Kelly Rowland: Swarovski-Crystal-Studded Baby Bathtub
Kelly Rowland gifted the baby-to-be with a $5,200 bathtub. The custom item was made by interior designer Lori Gardner, who says it could also be used to chill champagne or bathe dogs. It weighed more than 3,000 pounds and has 44,000 pink crystals.
Rihanna: $1 Million Hair in Accessories
The life of a popstar includes lots of different hair accessories. Rihanna has her hair routine down to a science. She spends $1 million each year on her hair. The singer pays her stylist a daily retainer of $3,200. This means the stylist is available anytime, anywhere. She also spends $24,00 a week to maintain her various hairstyles, which have included pink hair, red hair, long tresses, curls, pixie cuts and many more.
Rihanna - $1 million dollar Hair Accessories
Since Rihanna makes at least three appearances a year, she’s willing to shell out megabucks to always look great. Although it seems excessive, when have you ever seen Rihanna with bad hair?
Akon: Diamond Mine
Nobody knows quite how much money rapper Akon spent to buy an African diamond mine. But it certainly would cost a lot more than a mere $20 million or so. Akon wanted the South African mine partly because he uses a lot of bling for his personal style. Akon spent three years in prison, but now is a mega-star. As for the issue of conflict diamonds, Akon said he doesn’t believe in the concept, saying that it was all hype engineered by a movie.
