Actor Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard had been battling for two years over a judge’s decision about their divorce when Johnny Depp defeated her. He demanded $50 million from her for claiming that he had beaten her during their marriage and threatened to fight back by demanding $100 million from her if she continued to shed a negative light on him in the media.
The jury decided unanimously that Depp deserved a total of $15 million (claim and costs) and Heard deserved $2 million (costs only). This was considered by all to be a victory for Johnny. But now the question arises: how long will he make anything? Depp is known as one of the biggest spenders in Hollywood. Between 1999 and 2016 he made about 600 million dollars (mainly from his participation in the hugely popular “Pirates of the Caribbean”). But he spent, “like a sailor who went ashore,” to use a common English expression.
Former financial manager Joel Mandel testified at trial about Depp’s expenses. He says he needed $100,000 per month to cover the services of doctors who helped him with addiction issues (Depp has alcohol and a variety of other drugs). Additionally, $300,000 flew away each day for salaries for servants. This is not counting security guards, on whom Depp spent $10,000 a day.
Depp owns 14 houses and apartments around the world, which includes a chateau in France ($13.5 million), a penthouse in Los Angeles ($12.78 million), and small islands in the Bahamas. In general, he spends $75 million on real estate costs and maintenance for his homes. He also paid $18 million for a 45-meter-long yacht (however, rumor has it he sold it to JK Rowling), who wrote the Harry Potter films based off of her original tales.
A few years ago, many people were shocked by reports that flights on a Gulfstream GV private jet cost $200,000 a month for fuel and maintenance ($11 million+ on the plane). Then there’s the cost of jewelry and wine. Depp never denied himself. He once spent a couple of hours in an expensive jewelry store and they gave him a diamond-encrusted bracelet worth $400K. The report said he didn’t actually spend that much money, but he did spend $30,000 a month on top-shelf wine.
In general, Johnny always had an interest in buying various strange items. He used to buy gadgets that belonged to Hollywood stars of the past, for example, and paintings by well-known artists in the late 20th century. To store all his stuff, Johnny rented 12 different vaults with a total expenditure of around $500,000. He spent this money on storage alone.
In 2005, Johnny’s friend and journalist Hunter S. Thompson committed suicide. As a tribute to him, they recalled his old wishes that his ashes be placed in a cannon and fired from it instead of a traditional funeral. It cost $5 million to build the weapon and mount it on a 46-meter-high crane.
Compare this with his career from the mid-1990s, when he was still at the peak of success. Movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Fantastic Beasts” were huge successes, but as we got to the 2010s, films like “Mordecai,” “Bad Boys,” and “Black Mass” were box office flops. And that wasn’t about the scandals: these films were flops even without divorces in Depp’s life.
After the trial, Depp solemnly announced that a new chapter in his life had begun. The last few months proved to be just as important as the next few years: he has to live within his means or part with his possessions. Otherwise, he will continue to buy, buy, and buy until there is nothing left of him.
