How Lady Gaga Lost All Her Money (& Didn't Even Realize It)

There are very few artists that can say they will make an impact on generations to come. However, there's no doubt that Lady Gaga will always be remembered. While it seems the musician has always been successful, she has had to work hard to achieve fame. At the start of her career, Gaga was just another struggling musician looking to make ends meet. It took years for her to make it in the music industry. It wasn't until 2008 that she got her big break when she released her debut album, "The Fame."

Her incredible music and outlandish outfits had her in headlines everywhere. As Gaga's fame grew, she ventured into different passions such as acting and creating her own makeup brand. The Grammy winner was the ultimate triple threat, and it seemed like everything she touched turned to gold.

As the saying goes, "with fame comes fortune," and Gaga has a lot of it. The "Bad Romance" singer has a net worth of $320 million. With how talented Gaga is, there is no doubt that the number will only continue to grow. However, many musicians face bankruptcy because they did not know how to manage their money and splurge on expensive items. It turns out, Gaga was once in the same boat, and the worst part was that the singer didn't even know how bad it had gotten.

The debate on Lady Gaga's best album can start an entire war, but many fans will always go back to the start. "The Fame" kickstarted the musician's career and had some of her biggest hits to date like "Just Dance" and "Poker Face." Because of how big the album was, Gaga knew she wanted to bring her all for her first headline tour, "The Monster Ball Tour." But, the musician's ambitions may have been a little too pricey.

According to the Financial Times, Gaga constantly readjusted different aspects of the tour, and over time the expenses continued to grow. While making these modifications, Gaga was paying for everything out of pocket. Because she wanted her vision to come across perfectly, she wasn't keeping track of how much she had spent. She said, "I actually went bankrupt after the first extension of The Monster Ball. And it was funny because I didn't know!" When news outlets began reporting that Gaga was running out of money, it was as much of a shock to Gaga as it was to the rest of the world. The musician shared, "I remember I called everybody and said, "Why is every­one saying I have no money? This is ridiculous, I have five number one singles – and they said, 'Well, you're $3 million in debt.'" Luckily for Gaga, she was anything but a one-hit wonder, and her music releases, films, and her business helped her to recover from the loss.

As she pursues multiple projects, Lady Gaga's fame and fortune only continue to grow. Because of this, the musician was able to come back from her near bankruptcy bigger and better than ever. While the money is nice, it's not all that matters for Gaga. She told Financial Times in 2011, "It's honestly true that money means nothing to me. The only big things I've purchased are my dad's heart valve and a Rolls-Royce for my parents, for their anniversary." She elaborated on the hilarious reason why she got her parents a nice car. She said, "My dad had a Lady Gaga license plate on our old car and it was making me crazy because he was getting followed everywhere, so I bought him a new car."

However, things have changed since her interview in 2011. Gaga has earned more money than Ariana Grande. While she still may not prioritize money, the musician has splurged on some expensive goods. The "Poker Face" singer has spent her money on lavish items like a $50,000 ghost detector machine to reportedly keep the spirits away during her performance. In addition, she also spent $67 million on a private jet and $25.5 million on a home in Malibu. Clearly, the musician is enjoying some of the money she makes.