List of bankrupts


Personal bankruptcy law allows, in certain jurisdictions, an individual to be declared bankrupt, which is a legal status of a person or other entity that cannot repay the debts it owes to creditors. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor. Personal bankruptcy is distinguished from corporate bankruptcy, which generally does not directly affect the business owners' personal assets.
Modern bankruptcy law often distinguishes reorganization, in which only some of the bankrupt's assets are taken, a repayment plan is devised and part of the debt is discharged, from liquidation. In the latter type of bankruptcy, all of the debtors assets are included in the bankruptcy estate, sometimes in addition to his disposable income for a period of time, after which all of the debts are discharged.
The details vary between jurisdictions. In the US, the liquidation bankruptcy is governed by [Chapter 7, Title Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|11, United States Code|Chapter 7] of the Title 11 of the United States Code and is generally available to individuals passing a means test. Reorganization bankruptcy is governed by Chapters 11 and [Chapter Chapter 13, Title 11, United States Code|13, Title 11, United States Code|13]. Chapter 11 is mostly used by high net-worth individuals. In the 12-month period ending June 30, 2017, Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings accounted for, respectively, 474,258 and 1,099 out of 772,594 nonbusiness bankruptcy filings in the USA.

Notable bankrupts

Bankruptcy filings by celebrities generate extensive publicity, which has been cited as a factor contributing to a shift towards a less negative public perception of personal bankruptcy observed since the 1960s. Lawyers have reported using celebrity examples to persuade their clients to file for bankruptcy.
Listed below are notable individuals who filed for personal bankruptcy or were subject to a similar form of insolvency management process. The list does not include business bankruptcies and bankruptcies that were not officially recognized.

Key

Chapter 7Chapter 7, Title 11, United States CodeUSA
Chapter 11Chapter 11, Title 11, United States CodeUSA
Chapter 13Chapter 13, Title 11, United States CodeUSA
BR 1914/1926Bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Acts 1914 and 1926United Kingdom
IA 1986Bankruptcy under the Insolvency Act 1986United Kingdom

NameKnown asBankruptcy typeYear of filingDetails--
Dutch painterCessio bonorum1656His assets, including a collection of paintings, were subsequently auctioned off.--
Swedish engineer, father of Alfred NobelPetition to Stockholm's magistrates' court1833The bankruptcy was a result of a loss of three barges carrying construction materials. He became insolvent again in 1856.--
American Civil War photographerWarrant in bankruptcy issued by the District Court for the Southern District of New York.1873Brady ran into debt after investing over $100,000 to create over 10,000 plates. He expected the US government to buy the photographs after the war, but it refused to do so, thus forcing Brady into bankruptcy. In 1875, the United States Congress purchased the entire archive for $25,000, which went towards the debts. He died destitute in the charity ward of Presbyterian Hospital in New York in 1896.--
founder of Heinz1875Assets of $110,000 and debt of $160,000.
The bankruptcy was a result of a failure of his condiment business Noble and Company selling horseradish, caused by the financial crisis known as the Panic of 1873. He was twice arrested and released. He was tried for fraud in 1876 and acquitted. In the same year he started a new company, F & J Heinz, with his brother John Heinz and a cousin Frederick Heinz. One of its products was the tomato ketchup, which proved highly successful. Heinz was released from bankruptcy in 1885.
--
American artistBankruptcy Act 18691879The bankruptcy was caused by legal costs of a libel lawsuit against the critic John Ruskin. Whistler won the case, but the damages awarded were insufficient to cover the costs.--

American authorAssignment for Benefit of Creditors1894He owed over $100,000. The bankruptcy was caused by failed investments, notably in the Paige Compositor, a mechanical typesetter that failed because of its complexity and imprecision. Clemens paid off his debts in full, despite no legal obligation to do so, after conducting a series of profitable public lectures.
The bankruptcy was filed under the New York state law since the United States did not have a federal bankruptcy law at the time.
--
Irish authorBankruptcy Act 18831895He owed £3591. The bankruptcy was caused by legal costs following an unsuccessful lawsuit, which also led to his imprisonment for homosexual behaviour. He died destitute in 1900.--
American actress1931No assets against debt of $50,000. Caused by the Wall Street Crash of 1929.--
co-founder of 20th Century FoxSection 21a of the Bankruptcy Act 1936Assets of $1,600,000 and debt of $9,535,261.
In 1942, he was imprisoned for obstructing the justice during the bankruptcy proceedings. He attempted to bribe judge John Warren Davis with a $27,500 loan. He served half of his one-year sentence.
--
co-founder of General MotorsFiled in the Federal District court in New York.1936His listed clothing worth $250 as his only asset against a debt of $914,000.
The bankruptcy followed the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression, which led to the failure of his company Durant Motors.
--
American actressFiled in US Federal Court.1951Assets of $168,050 against debt of $156,573.91.
Around the time of the bankruptcy, the IRS seized her property due to non-payment of the income tax.
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American actorChapter 111962Assets of $500 against debt of $464,914.--
American actress and singer1963Caused by bad oil investments.--
British drummerBR 1914/19261965He owed £4,066.--
American singerFiled in US District Court.1971Assets of $35,371 against debt of $784,137 including nearly $300,000 in unpaid taxes. Damone filed for bankruptcy a month after his divorce from actress Judith Rawlins.--
British musicianBR 1914/19261972He owed £73,000.--
American singerFiled in a federal court.1976He owed about $6,000,000. Filed for bankruptcy together with his wife. He described tax liens as the precipitating factor for bankruptcy.--
American singer1976He owed $6,946,058. The bankruptcy followed his divorce and a court order requiring him to pay his ex-wife $600,000 of alimony. He filed for bankruptcy for his company Right-On Production at the same time.--
American wrestling promoterFiled in a U.S. bankruptcy court.1976They owed a total of $955,805 to 26 distinct creditors. The joint bankruptcy followed a failed investment.--
American wrestling promoter and politicianFiled in a U.S. bankruptcy court.1976They owed a total of $955,805 to 26 distinct creditors. The joint bankruptcy followed a failed investment.--

American singerFiled in U.S. Bankruptcy Court1976Assets of $153,232 against debt of $488,611.--

American singerFiled in U.S. Bankruptcy Court1982He filed for bankruptcy shortly before an auction was due to take place to sell his belongings to satisfy tax debt.--

American singerFiled in U.S. Bankruptcy Court1990He owed $1,600,000, mostly unpaid taxes. He was serving a prison sentence for assault at the time.--
American football player1977--
television hostChapter 71978He owed $352,000. The bankruptcy was caused by his inability to find employment following a grand larceny charge. He began hosting the Larry King Show in the same year.--
American musicianChapter 111979Assets of $56,845 against debt of $576,638.
Petty used the bankruptcy to strengthen his position in negotiations with the music label MCA Records, which had bought his indie label.
--
American singerChapter 71981Caused by a lawsuit brought by her former manager, following a split of her band.--
Northern Irish footballerBR 1914/19261982He was made bankrupt by the Inland Revenue over £22,000 of unpaid taxes. He was discharged in 1992. He said of his career: "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars – the rest I just squandered".--

American musicianChapter 71983He owed $1,600,000.--
American filmmakerChapter 111983An involuntary Chapter 11 petition was filed by creditors for one of Coppola's companies, Hollywood General Studios. This and the following bankruptcies were a result of financial failure of the movie One From the Heart which Coppola had financed with his own money.--
American filmmakerChapter 111990At the same time, Coppola filed a separate Chapter 11 petition for one of this companies, Zoetrope Productions.--
American filmmakerChapter 111992Combined assets of $52,000,000 and debts of $98,000,000.
The bankruptcy covered Coppola personally together with his wife, and his two companies, Zoetrope Corporation and Zoetrope Productions.
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British musicianChapter 71984Assets of $2,404,430 against debt of $3,697,163.
Among the causes of bankruptcy were impulsive real estate purchases and failed investments.
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American singerChapter 71984Clinton claims that the bankruptcy was "fictitious" — part of a conspiracy to deprive him of his income.--
American musicianChapter 111984 or 1987The case was later converted to Chapter 7.--
American musicianChapter 111997The case was converted to Chapter 7 in 1998. He was discharged in 2001. In 2005, he was convicted for tax evasion and sentenced to three years and one month in prison.--
American singer1985Caused by unpaid taxes in connection with his gambling addiction.--
Governor of Texas and Treasury SecretaryChapter 111987At the same time, his real estate investment firm filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The bankruptcy was caused by unsuccessful investments.--
English singerChapter 71987Assets of less than $50,000 against debt of more than $1,000,000.
He died six months later due to a viral infection.
--
American author1988--
American musicianChapter 71988His bankruptcy petition listed total liabilities of $3,000,000 including $2,000,000 of unpaid taxes in addition to medical and personal debts.--
American musiciansChapter 111988They owed over $1,000,000. The couple filed for joint bankruptcy as a result of a bad investment in two Florida shopping centers.--
American musiciansChapter 111988They owed over $1,000,000. The couple filed for joint bankruptcy as a result of a bad investment in two Florida shopping centers.--
American rock musicianChapter 111989His creditors included Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.--
American rock musicianChapter 13 2008Caused by lost lawsuit against his former band, Kiss. He withdrew the bankruptcy petition after an appeal in which third parties wanted to convert the bankruptcy to Chapter 7.--
American musicianChapter 111990He owed $16–32 million to the IRS during the 1980s. $16 million in his assets was seized by the IRS before the bankruptcy. His IRS debt was later settled at a discount rate.--
American singer and actress1990sThe bankruptcy followed her divorce from Charles Huggins who also sued her and The Daily News newspaper for libel.--
American film producer1990sThe bankruptcy was reportedly related to the financial failure of the film Slipstream and let to its release into the public domain.--
American musicianChapter 111992The bankruptcy followed a series of failed businesses and divorces.--
American actress1992According to her autobiography, Let the Magic Begin, Crosby filed for bankruptcy to stop a lawsuit by her former husband Joe Theismann demanding half of her assets.--
American singerChapter 111992He owed $20,000,000, $8.3 million of which was owed to Northeastern Bank of Pennsylvania, as a result of bad investments in the 1980s.--
British ski jumper1992The bankruptcy followed his inability to pay a tax bill due to a failure of his trust fund. He subsequently sued the trustees for mismanagement and won a settlement of around £100,000.--
American singerChapter 111992She owed more than $846,000. The creditors were repaid in full, and the bankruptcy petition was withdrawn.--
American singerChapter 72008Assets of $500,000-$1,000,000 against debt of $1,000,000-$10,000,000. She described the bankruptcy as a "necessary part" of "restructuring" her business.--
American actressChapter 111993Assets of $2,000,000-$3,000,000 against debt of over $11,000,000.
The bankruptcy followed a judgement awarding Main Line Pictures $8,100,000 against her for walking away from the movie Boxing Helena. The case was eventually settled for $3,800,000. The bankruptcy was later converted to Chapter 7. Her assets included a large portion of the town Braselton, Georgia.
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Governor of ArizonaChapter 71995Assets of $61,000 against debt of more than $24,000,000, including $10,000,000 borrowed from union pension funds.
The bankruptcy was caused by failed real estate investments. He was charged with defrauding his lenders and convicted in 1997. The conviction was overturned in 1999 and he was pardoned by President Bill Clinton in 2001.
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American motivational speakerChapter 111995Assets of $500,000-$999,000 against debt of up to $1,000,000 owed to Time Warner video unit and around $500,000 of other debt.
The bankruptcy was caused by legal costs.
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American singerChapter 111995Assets of less than $50,000 against debt of $500,000-$1,000,000.
The bankruptcy was caused by her unsuccessful singing career and $650,000 in damages claimed by Moulin Rouge for ending her contract early.
--
American figure skaterChapter 111996Assets of $1,300,000 against debt of $1,600,000.--

American model and actressChapter 111996Her assets included jewelry worth nearly $1,000,000. The bankruptcy was a result of a $830,000 judgment against her in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by her former nanny. Her claim to her deceased husband's estate, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, was the subject of a lengthy litigation culminating in two Supreme Court cases, Marshall v. Marshall and after her death, Stern v. Marshall.--

American rapperChapter 111996Assets of $1,000,000 against debt of over $13,000,000.
The bankruptcy was attributed to his extravagant lifestyle and decreasing album sales. The case was converted to Chapter 7 in 1998.
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American actorChapter 111996He owed more than $10,000,000. The bankruptcy followed a divorce and a failed business venture.--
American singerChapter 111997Her debts included more than $172,000 in unpaid state and federal taxes. In 2001, her business went bankrupt, leaving behind unpaid employees and creditors.--
Canadian actorChapter 111997Assets of $40,000 against debt of over $200,000, including state and federal taxes, and medical expenses.--
American TV producerChapter 71997Assets of $6,353 against debt of $274,100.--
American singerChapter 71997Caused by a litigation over management and publishing agreements.--
American actressChapter 111997The bankruptcy followed a failure to sell her company Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino, which filed for Chapter 11 on the same day.--
American screenwriter1997Caused by inability to find work.--
American author, mother of Britney Spears1998She filed for bankruptcy together with her husband.--
American singerChapter 71998She owed $3,900,000. Three of her companies filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy at the same time.--
American singerChapter 72010Assets of $1,000,000-$10,000,000 against debt of $10,000,000-$50,000,000.
The bankruptcy was precipitated by medical problems.
--
English actorIA 19861999He owed £300,000. The bankruptcy was caused by legal costs from a libel suit he started.--
American actorChapter 71999He owed $72,000.--
American singer1999She filed for bankruptcy after two failed albums.--
American actorChapter 131999He owed over $1,000,000. His creditors included the IRS and a Nevada investment corporation.--
American actress and model1999She owed $194,000.--
American madamChapter 111999Assets of $5,200 against debt of $270,000.
The bankruptcy followed a prison sentence on charges related to running a call-girl service.
--
American actressChapter 111999The debts included legal fees from a custody battle.--
Canadian fiddlerCanadian law2000Assets of $119,000 against debt of $305,000, mostly unpaid taxes.--
American boxerChapter 112003Assets of $10,000,000-$50,000,000 against debt of over $27,000,000. His biggest creditors were the US and British tax authorities, whom he owed a total of $17,400,000.--
American basketball playerChapter 132004Caused by "bad investments". She owed $711,050, including $275,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.--
English comedianIA 19862004Caused by unpaid taxes.--
American actorChapter 72004Assets of $433,000 against debt of $617,000, including nearly $200,000 for a private airplane. He filed for bankruptcy after the cancellation of his television show The Immortal.--
American actorChapter 72014Assets of $9,100 against debt of $322,000.
The debt included $285,000 in state and federal taxes and nearly $20,000 in domestic support.
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British boxerIA 19862005He was made bankrupt due to a tax debt of £1,300,000.--
English comedianIA 19862006The bankruptcy followed his failure to keep payments on a £1,400,000 tax bill, of which £700,000 was outstanding at the time of bankruptcy.--
American musicianChapter 132007Assets of $100,001-$1,000,000 against debt in the same range, primarily business-related.--
American actorChapter 72008He owed $350,000.--
American football playerChapter 112008Assets of $16,000,000 against debt of $20,400,000.
The bankruptcy followed his trial and prison sentence for organizing dog fighting.
--
American actorChapter 112009Assets of more than $1,100,000 against debt of more than $2,300,000. The debt included $1,200,000 on mortgages and more than $1,000,000 in unpaid taxes.--
American baseball playerChapter 112009Assets of less than $50,000 against debt of $10,000,000-$50,000,000.
In 2010, the case was converted to Chapter 7. In 2012, Dykstra was sentenced to six and a half month in federal prison for bankruptcy fraud, concealment of assets, and money laundering.
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English singerIA 1986 2008The bankruptcy was caused by her failure to pay the final £82,000 of a £417,000 tax bill--
English singerIA 1986 2013She declared the second bankruptcy a few months after an advertising campaign featuring her, which suggested that payday loans could help fund a celebrity lifestyle, was banned by an industry regulator.--
television personalityIA 19862009He was made bankrupt due to his failure to pay £20,000 of a £120,000 tax bill.--
television personalityIA 19862013He made bankrupt by the HMRC.--
American basketball playerChapter 72010Assets of $4,000,000 against debt of $12,870,000.--
American basketball playerChapter 72010He owed $4,700,000 due to failed investments.--
American actor and comedianChapter 112010Assets of $2,000,000 and debts of $2,800,000 resulting from a failed real estate investment.--
British journalistIA 19862010Failure to manage her financial affairs. She went bankrupt twice.--

Irish businessmanIA 19862011The bankruptcy was annulled after appeal by his creditor, the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, which successfully challenged the location of Quinn's centre of main interest.--

Irish businessmanIrish Law2012The application was filed by the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation.--
American dermatologistChapter 112011Assets of $6,000,000 against debt of $8,400,000.--
American wrestlerChapter 72012Assets of over $430,000 against debt of $2,934,000.--
baseball playerChapter 72012Assets of $21,000 against debt of $1,700,000, of which over $500,000 was owed to the IRS.--
American actorChapter 72012Assets of less than $50,000 against debt of $500,000-$1,000,000.
His creditors included the IRS, Wells Fargo, Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, and a storage company.
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American actressChapter 132013Assets of $1,076,400 against debt of $807,115.
Filed twice before, but the attempts were dismissed.
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American singerChapter 72013Assets of around $25,000 against debt including nearly $10,000,000 in unpaid taxes.--
American singerChapter 72013Assets of $8,232.16 against debt of over $3,500,000, mostly unpaid taxes.--

English rapperIA 19862013Caused by unpaid taxes.--
British politicianIA 19862013The petition was filed by his former solicitors whom he owed £120,000 in fees and costs.--
American modelChapter 72013She owed nearly $1,000,000, mostly unpaid taxes.--

American comedian and actorChapter 72013Assets of $131,000 against debt of $11,000,000, including $8,300,000 owed to the IRS.
He previously filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and 2010, but the cases were dismissed.
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American actorChapter 72013Asset of $1,585,500 against debt of $2,166,000.--
British-American modelIA 19862013He was made bankrupt by the HMRC over unpaid taxes.--
American actressChapter 72013Assets of $23,937 against debt of $2,021,832.
The bankruptcy was a result of a divorce and child custody litigation.
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American figure skaterChapter 72014She owed more than $600,000.--
English actressIA 19862014She was made bankrupt by the HMRC, to which she owed more than £14,000.--
English singerIA 19862014The bankruptcy included unpaid taxes.--

American authorChapter 72014Assets of more than $1,400,000 against debt of more than $3,400,000.--
American actressChapter 112014Assets of less than $50,000 against debt of nearly $1,000,000, including $772,000 in unpaid taxes.--
English footballerIA 19862014The bankruptcy followed his divorce. His collection of football memorabilia was subsequently auctioned off.--
American hockey playerChapter 112014Assets of less than $50,000 against debt of more than $10,000,000.
The bankruptcy followed defaulting on high-interest loans and three lawsuits against Johnson.
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English footballer2014He owed more than £330,000.--
French footballersequestration under the Scottish law2014The bankruptcy was caused by debt related to car purchases.--
American actressChapter 72014Assets of $414,000 against debt of $947,000.
The debt consisted mostly of legal fees from a divorce and custody litigation against Nikki Sixx.
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English snooker playerIA 19862015Debt of £601,204. The bankruptcy was a result of spending borrowed money on gambling. In 2016, he was given a 6-year Bankruptcy Restrictions Order for borrowing money "he had no reasonable expectation of repaying".--
American football playerChapter 112015Assets of $13,290,000 million, including $10,000,000 in legal claims against debt of $5,000,000, including domestic support, back taxes, money owed to MGM Grand casino, to Borgata and to his mother.--
American actorChapter 112015Assets of $3,714,913 against debt of $2,143,367.97.--
English singerIA 19862015He was made bankrupt by a debt collection company.--
50 CentAmerican rapperChapter 112015Assets of $10,000,000-$50,000,000 against debt of $32,509,549.91.
Legal fees and judgments exceeding $20 million over the past year were the primary cause of the filing. See also 50 Cent, Bankruptcy.
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American metal musicianChapter 112015Assets consisting of real property valued at $1,050,134, and $60,500 of personal property including ownership interest in a restaurant and Family Values Tour Music Festival. Secured debts include first and second mortgages, tax liens, and judgment liens totaling $2,451,826. Unsecured debts include tax debt and general consumer debt totaling $117,272. Case was dismissed within eight months.--
English actorIA 19862016He was made bankrupt by the HMRC.--
Scottish TV presenterIA 19862016She was made bankrupt by the HMRC due to over £100,000 of unpaid taxes.--
Karen Millenfounder of Karen Millen FashionsIA 19862016She was made bankrupt by the HMRC due to about £6,000,000 of debt arising from her involvement in a tax avoidance scheme. In the bankruptcy files, she was described as "unemployed fashion designer, formerly a company director".--
American attorneyChapter 72016Assets of $408,176 against debt of over $5,500,000.
The bankruptcy was caused by a tax debt of nearly $5,200,000 related to his handling of a client's stock shares, which also led to his disbarment in 2001.
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English footballerIA 19862016He was made bankrupt by the HMRC, to which he owed £150,000.--
German tennis playerIA 19862017The petition was filed by one of his creditors, Arbuthnot Latham.--

English comedianIA 19862017He claimed he couldn't pay a £80,000 tax bill.--
British journalistIA 19862017--
Lil' KimAmerican rapperChapter 13 converted to Chapter 112018She filed a Chapter 13 in order to stop a foreclousre of her New Jersey home valued at $2,300,000. Both her secured and unsecured debts each totaled more than $2,000,000 which made her ineligible to be a debtor under Chapter 13. She converted her case to Chapter 11 and then dismissed the case shortly thereafter.--

American musician--
Irish actorHe was declared bankrupt twice.
Gary BrackettAthleteChapter 7$2 million in assets and $5.8 million in liabilities, most of those unsecured business debts