As the star of movies like Ghost Rider and National Treasure, Nicolas Cage was once one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, with an enviable $150 million fortune, the equivalent of around $215 million (£170m) in today's money.

However, it all came crashing down in 2009 when Cage found himself on the brink of bankruptcy, owing the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) a hefty $14 million in back taxes ($21m/£16m in 2024 money), as well as millions to various other creditors.

So how did the star go from a sizeable fortune to staring at rock bottom in little over a decade? Read on for the shocking story of Nicolas Cage's wild spending. 

All dollar amounts in US dollars