Money Minute: Canadian celebrities have money to burn

When you think of Canada’s top celebrity earners – Keanu Reeves probably doesn’t spring to mind. But with a net worth of $472 million according to Richest Lifestyle’s wealthiest celebrities list, the Matrix star has done more than all right for himself.

And as it turns out, he’s pretty responsible with his money – waiting until his mid-forties to buy his first home and sharing somewhere in the realm of $100 million of his paycheque for the Matrix sequels with the make-up and effects crew saying “Money is the last thing I think about. I could live on what I have already made for the next few centuries."

Forgetting Reeves’ less-than-humble claim of financial ignorance, the actor’s actions seemingly embody that same spirit of Canadian financial conservatism that helped us weather the recession. Cheer up, Keanu.

But not all celebrities, Canadian or otherwise, share Reeves’ penchant for controlling the money as opposed to letting it control them. Tons have felt the burn of financial mismanagement from singer Lauryn Hill’s three-month prison term for tax evasion to Nicholas Cage’s well documented $30 million a year lifestyle.

Yahoo Canada Finance’s Ashleigh Patterson takes a look at three of Canada’s big celebrity earners and their irresponsible money management.