While he was once one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, Cage came into serious financial trouble due to his unusual spending habits.
Just as the sky is blue, celebrities make a lot of money. Many of them are known for spending that money on designer clothes, lavish trips, and luxurious homes. Some, however, spend their money in more unique ways, on items most wouldn’t think to buy, even if they had the means.
But no one spends money quite like Oscar-winning actorNicolas Cage, who is known for buying uncommon items, many of them at insane prices. He is also known for once having a massive net worth that he completely dwindled on things absolutely no one needs. While he was once one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, Cage came into serious financial trouble due to his unusual spending habits. Below are the 10 most excessively extravagant purchases Nicolas Cage has made:
10. Pyramid Tombstone – $40k
Travelers to New Orleans, Louisiana can stop by St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 to find Nic Cage’s9-foot-tall pyramid tombstone. The actor has never indicated why he bought it, but fans have lots of theories. Some think it could be an homage to the National Treasure film series, in which he starred. Others suspect it may be a wink to his purported membership in the Illuminati. Not everyone finds this purchase fascinating, though. New Orleans citizens are upset by the tombstone since the cemetery is crowded, and he has been accused of removing other plots to make room for his own.
9. Pet Octopus – $150k
A fan of all things exotic, animals included, Cage once bought himself a pet octopus to help with his acting. Cage was young at the time, proving he has always had a flair for the dramatic and a penchant for extravagant purchases.
8. First-Ever Superman Comic – $150k
Back in 1997, Cage purchased Action Comics No. 1 at Sotheby’s auction, the famed comic book known for having the first appearance of Superman. 3 years later the comic book was stolen from Cage’s house, and in 2011 it was found and returned to the actor. He sold it months later for over $2.1M. Although he spent lots of money on it, the investment did end up turning a profit.
7. Dinosaur Skull – $276k
While it wasn’t a pet, this item was certainly exotic. Cage was once the owner of a stolen Mongolian dinosaur skull that he bought at a luxury Manhattan auction. Unaware it had been stolen from the Gobi Desert, Cage agreed to return the Tyrannosaurus bataar skull to the Mongolian government after being contacted by the Department of Homeland Security.
6. Two Albino King Cobras – $276k
Two other exotic pets that influenced his acting, Cage’s pair of albino king cobras, Moby and Sheba, did try to kill him. “They would try to hypnotize me by showing me their backs, and then they’d lunge at me,” he said. He later brought them to a zoo to appease his neighbors. These pets did directly influence his acting, though, as he mimicked their movement for his role in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Cage said “animals are fun places to get inspiration” in an interview with The New York Times.
5. The Shah of Iran’s Lamborghini – $490k
Cage has purchased a fleet of luxury vehicles, but none come with as unique a backstory as his nearly $500,000 Lamborghini Miura SVJ. No stranger to making large purchases at auctions, Cage bought this vehicle in 1997. The luxury car was previously owned by the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who had a large car collection before his assets were seized by Islamic revolutionaries when removing him from power.
4. Private Bahamian Island – $3M
Expanding his already-diverse portfolio, Cage purchased a 45-acre island in 2006 in the Exuma Island Chain where he neighbored other celebrities including Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Johnny Depp, and David Copperfield. Over a decade ago now, Cage listed the property for more than double what he payed for amidst speculation the actor was in debt after his unrivaled years-long spending spree.
3. Haunted House – $3.4M
When Nicolas Cage bought a haunted house, he didn’t buy a children’s Halloween attraction; Cage bought a bonafide haunted house. The eccentric actor once owned the LaLaurie House, a New Orleans mansion known for housing Dr. Louis LaLaurie and socialite Madame Delphine LaLaurie, where the wife gruesomely tortured slaves. Cage says he bought it because he has fond childhood memories of visiting the haunted mansion at Disneyland, and this was a “childhood fantasy come true.”
2. European Castles – $5M and $2.3M
Cage has spent loads of cash on various properties around the world, but not all stand out like his two European castles. One is Neidstein Castle, a 500-year-old Bavarian castle located in Etzelwang, Germany, and the other is Midford Castle in Somerset, which he sold back in 2009 in an attempt to pay back some of his debt.
1 .Gulfstream jet – $30M
Most celebrities fly private, but few of them actually own a jet. With Cage’s collection of high-priced items, though, it’s no surprise he spent a large sum of money on a jet replete with a conference room, kitchen, and mini-bar.
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