Cage’s fallen empire
The actor is estimated to have blown $150 million over the past decade.
Nicolas Cage has burned through a fortune, said Emma Brockes in The Guardian (U.K.). The actor is estimated to have blown $150 million over the past decade, spending wildly on a fleet of luxury cars, four yachts, and a portfolio of multimillion-dollar properties that included castles in England and Germany, mansions in New Orleans, Rhode Island, and Bel Air, and an island in the Bahamas. Why did he buy so many houses? “I had to put the money somewhere, and I got caught up in that bubble that exploded,” explains Cage, 49. “I didn’t trust stocks and I didn’t trust leaving it in the bank. I believed in real estate. So now I’m working through that.” Hit with a bill for $14 million in unpaid U.S. taxes in 2009, he sold off many of his properties, mostly at a loss. Since then, Cage has worked almost constantly, making 15 movies in the past four years. He gets upset when critics accuse him of saying yes to any role just to pay off his debts. “I’m one of those Americans who believes in working,” he says. “If you’ve made mistakes in the past, you don’t just roll over or cave in, you find a way through it. But in film acting, for some reason you get criticized for working.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
'We need solutions that prioritize both safety and sustainability'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Book reviews: 'Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference' and 'Is a River Alive?'
Feature A rallying cry for 'moral ambition' and the interwoven relationship between humans and rivers