For most people, their first big paycheck is to pay the bills or go shopping at the local mall, but things are a little different for celebrities. Their first big paycheck isn’t a few hundred dollars, but rather a few thousand dollars.
It would be almost impossible to decide which lavish item to buy first, which is why it is hilarious to read what these celebrities decided to do. One musician spent his salary on unlimited barbecue meat. Then there are the celebrities who spend it on spoiling their parents. Find out what your favorite celebrities did when the money started rolling in.
J-Lo Broke Up With Boyfriend And Bought A Car Like A True Icon
Jennifer Lopez already had a car, a Honda hatchback, which her then-boyfriend had given her. In Living Color, but she wanted something nicer to go to auditions in. When she started to get successful, she broke up with him and bought a Mercedes.
It sounds iconic, but according to J-Lo, she was crying in the dealership while she signed the papers.
Barbecue was all Dave Grohl could think about
When the Nirvana drummer found success in 1992, he had only one thing on his mind: spending his newfound wealth. Dave explained that when they got their first big paycheck, he bought a beach house in North Carolina and spent years eating pulled pork there.
He meant it literally. Dave said he practically lived on pulled pork from the age of 22 to 25.
Selena Gomez used her Barney and Friends Paycheck to pay rent
When you start acting as young as Selena, you don’t have a lot of control over your money. She said Access Hollywood that she’s pretty sure her first paychecks went to paying her family’s rent in Los Angeles.
Her mother had moved from Texas so Selena could perform.
Tiffany Haddish Splurged on Candy Like a Little Girl
Tiffany’s first check wasn’t very large, just $120, but it was still overwhelming for the comedic actress. She went straight to the bank to open a checking account.
After that, she rushed to the corner store and bought “a big box of Snickers and lollipops, Jolly Rancher sticks and Blow Pops. Oh, and Corn Nuts.”
Rosie Huntington Whitely bought a car…but doesn’t know how to drive
Rosie received her first big salary when she was just 17. She used the money to buy her first car, a Ford KA. The problem was that she didn’t know how to drive yet and had never really learned how to.
Rosie said She UK that she thought she would learn one day, but she was always too busy working.
Shaq spent $1 million in 60 minutes
It took Shaquille O’Neal just a few hours to spend most of his money. He signed his first professional contract in 1992.
Within an hour, he had bought a $150,000 Mercedes Benz, matching cars for his parents, paid off all his family’s debts, then done “what all the guys around here do… buy rings and diamonds.”
Courteney Cox bought a car with the start of her Friends Fortune
Courteney had already enjoyed relative success as an actress before landing the role of Monica in FriendsWho could forget his appearance in Bruce Springsteen’s music video “Dancing In The Dark”?
But none of her previous roles seemed as stable, so the first thing she did after the pilot aired was go out and buy a car.
Matt LeBlanc, on the other hand, bought a hot dinner
Matt had a totally different situation than Courteney. When he auditioned for FriendsHe had only $11 to his name. When the actors got their paychecks, his first thought was to go out and buy a hot dinner.
I hope no one tried to steal a bite because we bet just like his character, Matt doesn’t share food!
Chris Rock Got Into Debt After His First Big Purchase
The comedian decided to go big and bought a red Corvette with his first big paycheck. The problem was, the Corvette cost him $45,000 and he only made $99,000 that year. To top it off, he didn’t realize how much he was going to pay in taxes.
Overall, buying the car actually put him further into the hole. Ouch.
Kelly Rowland Bought All the Foods That Were Too Expensive to Buy Growing Up
Destiny’s Child burst onto the music scene in the early ’90s and changed the lives of their members. Rather than go on a splurge, Kelly went to her grocery store and bought all the items her mother always told her were too expensive for them to buy in advance.
She threw a big party and invited everyone to come eat. Sounds like my kind of Friday night.
A washing machine was all Nicole Kidman wanted
The fact that all Nicole could think about when she got her first big paycheck was a washing machine is a good reminder that you shouldn’t take anything for granted.
His second major purchase? A pair of boots that were “the coolest boots I’ve ever seen in my life.” That sounds a lot more fun.
Rupert Grint bought an ice cream truck because, sure, why not?
In one of their first interviews after being cast as Harry, Ron and Hermione, the children were asked what they would spend their money on. Rupert confidently replied that he would buy an ice cream van and that he would have done so when he was old enough to drive.
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 big salary of Mr. RobotRami went out and bought the nicest home espresso machine he could afford. At least he knows full well how his coffee addiction runs his life.
Now that he has played the role of Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsodyhe could probably even afford several Starbucks drinks a day.
Kerry Washington bought his first laptop
Kerry’s first big payday came from his role in Save the Last DanceThe film paid the actors in cash, which was a little stressful for her.
She slept with her money under her mattress until filming ended and called it the “Bronx girl in me.” Once she knew she was safe, she went out and bought her first laptop.
Serena Williams refused to touch her money
After winning her first big paycheck as a professional tennis player, Serena Williams wanted nothing to do with the money. She admitted that her guilty pleasure was buying real estate, 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 isn’t that easy.
Ariel Winter was one of the few child stars who could access her money
Most young actors don’t see much of their income until they’re 18, but Ariel is a special case. She broke away from her abusive mother at the age of 14, so she has complete control over her income.
The first thing she bought with her Modern family paycheck? Lots of shoes.
Brad Pitt has decided to renovate his house
Most aspiring actors don’t exactly have the nicest place to live. You can choose to buy a brand new house with your first paycheck or do like Brad and buy extravagant decor for your studio.
His first big paycheck went to buying a Craftsman chair and a “lamp that looks like a writer Frank Lloyd.”
Jesse Metcalfe Tried Investing in Baseball Cards
Investing in stable stocks with your first big paycheck is a pretty smart move. Investing in baseball cards with that money? Not as smart, but that’s exactly what Jesse did.
He said he thought their value would increase, but it seems he is still waiting for that to happen.
Johnny Depp bought his mother the horse farm of his dreams
After Johnny received the paycheck for his breakout role in 21 jump streetHe bought his mother a horse farm near Lexington, Kentucky. Thinking back to his mother, Johnny says he “adored her.”
It seems that it is worth having a famous son when you dream of breeding horses.
Wallpaper was at the top of Cindy Crawford’s wish list
If spending your first big paycheck as a supermodel on wallpaper doesn’t remind you “I’m from the ’80s,” then I don’t know what will. That’s exactly what Cindy Crawford did after landing her first big photo shoots.
I guess if you want to be one of the most beautiful models on the planet, you should have a house to match.