What Celebrities Splurged On After Their First Big Payday
For most people, their first big paycheck goes towards paying the bills or a shopping spree at the local mall, but things are a little different for celebrities. Their first big paychecks aren't a couple hundred dollars, but more like a couple thousand dollars.
It would be nearly impossible to decide what lavish item to buy first, which is why it's hilarious to read what these celebrities decided on. One musician spent his paycheck to fund an unlimited supply of barbecued meat. Or there's also the celebrities who spend it spoiling their parents. Check out what your favorite celebrities did when the cold, hard cash started flowing in.
J-Lo Broke Up With Her Boyfriend And Bought A Car Like A True Icon
Jennifer Lopez already had a car, a Honda hatchback, gifted to her by her boyfriend from her days on In Living Color, but she wanted something nicer for driving to auditions. When she started to hit it big, she broke up with him and bought a Mercedes.
It sounds iconic, but according to J-Lo, she was crying in the dealership while signing the paperwork.
Barbecue Was The Only Thing On Dave Grohl's Mind
When the drummer from Nirvana hit it big in 1992, there was only one thing he imagined spending his newfound riches on. Dave explained that when they got their first big paycheck, he bought a beach house in North Carolina and spent years up there eating pulled pork.
He meant it literally. Dave said he practically lived off pulled pork from when he was 22 to 25.
Selena Gomez Used Her Barney & Friends Paycheck To Pay The Rent
When you get into acting as young as Selena did, you don't have much control over your money. She told Access Hollywood that she's pretty sure her first paychecks went to pay for her family's rent in Los Angeles.
Her mom had moved there from Texas so Selena could act.
Tiffany Haddish Splurged On Candy Like A Little Kid
Tiffany's first paycheck wasn't that big, only a mere $120, but it was still overwhelming to the funny actress. She went straight to the bank to open a checking account.
After that, she made a beeline for the corner store and bought "a big box of Snickers and lollipops, Jolly Rancher stick and Blow Pops. Oh, and Corn Nuts."
Rosie Huntington Whitely Bought A Car...But Doesn't Know How To Drive
Rosie's first big payday came when she was only 17. She used the money to buy her first car, a Ford KA. The problem was, she didn't know how to drive yet, and she'd never actually learned.
Rosie told Elle UK that she figured she'd learn eventually, but has always been too busy working.
Shaq Blew Through $1 Million In 60 Minutes
It only took a few hours for Shaquille O'Neal to blow through most of his money. He signed his first professional contract in 1992.
Within an hour, he'd bought a $150,000 Mercedes Benz, matching cars for his mom and dad, paid off all his family's debt, and then did "what all the homeboys do...buy rings and diamonds."
Courteney Cox Bought A Car With The Start Of Her Friends Fortune
Courteney had already found relative success in acting before she landed the role as Monica on Friends. Who could forget her appearance in Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark" music video?
But none of her previous roles seemed as stable, so the first thing she did after the pilot aired was she went out and bought a car.
Matt LeBlanc, On The Other Hand, Bought A Hot Dinner
Matt had a totally different situation tha Courteney. When he auditioned for Friends, he only had $11 to his name. When the cast got their paychecks, his first thought was to go out and buy a hot dinner.
Hopefully, no one tried to steal a bite because we bet just like his character, Matt doesn't share food!
Chris Rock Went Into Debt With His First Big Purchase
The funnyman went big and bought a red Corvette with after first big payday. The problem was, the Corvette cost him $45,000 and he only made $99,000 that year. To make matters worse, he didn't realize how much he'd end up pay in taxes.
All in all, buying the car actually put him further into the hole. Yikes.
Kelly Rowland Bought Every Food Too Expensive To Buy Growing Up
Destiny's Child burst onto the music scene in the early '90s and changed their member's lives. Rather than splurge on something outrageous, Kelly went to her grocery store and bought up every item her mom always said was too expensive for them to buy beforehand.
She threw a huge party and had everyone come over to eat the food. That sounds like my kind of Friday night.
A Washing Machine Was All Nicole Kidman Wanted
The fact that all Nicole could think of buying when she got her first major paycheck was a washing machine is a nice reminder not to take anything for granted.
Her second major purchase? A pair of boots that "were, like, the coolest boots I had ever seen in my life." That sounds much more fun.
Rupert Grint Bought An Ice Cream Truck Because, Duh, Why Not?
In one of their first interviews after being cast as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the kids were asked what they'd spend their money on. Rupert said confidently he'd buy an ice cream truck, and when he was old enough to drive, he actually did.
Rupert even brought it to the Harry Potter set on the last day of filming.
Rami Malek Used His Money To Fuel His Coffee Addiction
After his first substantial payday from Mr. Robot, Rami went out and bought the nicest home espresso machine he could afford. At least he is well aware of how his coffee addiction runs his life.
Now that he's starred as Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rapsody, he could probably even afford multiple Starbucks drinks a day.
Kerry Washington Bought Her First Laptop
Kerry's first big payday came from her role in Save The Last Dance. The film paid the actors in cold, hard cash, which was a little nerve-racking for her.
She slept with her cash under her mattress until filming was over and called it the "Bronx girl in me." Once she knew she was in the clear, she went out and bought her first laptop.
Serena Williams Refused To Touch Her Money
After winning her first big paycheck as a professional female tennis player, Serena Williams wanted nothing to do with the money. She admitted her guilty pleasure is buying property, so she didn't want to waste it.
Serena actually tried to deposit her seven-figure check through the drive thru, but apparently depositing millions is not that easy.
Ariel Winter Was One Of The Few Child Stars Who Could Access Her Money
Most child actors don't see much of their own earnings until they turn 18, but Ariel is a special case. She became emancipated from her abusive mother when she was 14, so her earnings are all in her control.
The first thing she bought with her Modern Family paycheck? A lot of shoes.
Brad Pitt Decided To Upgrade His Home
Most aspiring actors don't exactly have the nicest digs. You can either choose to buy a brand new house with your first paycheck, or be like Brad and buy extra-fancy decor for your studio apartment.
His first substantial payday went towards a Craftsman chair and a "Frank Lloyd Write-wannabe lamp."
Jesse Metcalfe Tried To Invest In Baseball Cards
Using your first major paycheck to invest in stable stocks is a pretty smart move. Using the money to invest in baseball cards? Not as smart, but that's exactly what Jesse did.
He said he believed they would appreciate in value, but it sounds like he's still waiting for that to happen.
Johnny Depp Bought His Mom Her Dream Horse Farm
After Johnny got the paycheck for his breakout role in 21 Jump Street, he bought his mom a horse farm near Lexington, Kentucky. When looking back on his mom, Johnny says that he "worshipped her."
It sounds like it pays off to have a famous son when you have horse farming dreams.
Wallpaper Was At The Top Of Cindy Crawford's Wishlist
If spending your first major paycheck as a supermodel on wallpaper doesn't scream "I'm from the '80s" then I don't know what does. That's exactly what Cindy Crawford did after landing her first major editorial photoshoots.
I guess if you're going to be one of the most beautiful models on the planet, you should have a house to match.
