Mike Tyson Blew His Net Worth On This Exotic Pet
This is just absolutely ridiculous and, yet, not all that surprising...
Mike Tyson, the tiger owner? Predictable. Mike Tyson, the pigeon owner? Less predictable but also not entirely surprising at the same time.
Tyson didn’t have to buy an exotic animal like a tiger to prove to the world he’s tough and eccentric. We already knew that fact quite well. So did Phil, Allen, and Stu from The Hangover. What we didn’t know about Tyson, though, is that he seems to also show his softer side through his love of more delicate creatures.
Recently, Tyson has taken to reinventing himself and ushering in new approaches to life, most likely to help him gain back nearly half of his fortune that he lost after he spent it on his unique pets. The former heavyweight champion could have had an impressive net worth well over $500 million, but that never happened. He couldn’t even keep his $400 million fortune, which he made at the peak of his career. Now he’s worth a measly $10 million…mostly thanks to pets.
Tyson isn’t the only celebrity to have exotic pets, but his choices in animals aren’t what you’d probably imagine, and they cost him a pretty penny as well. But how exactly did he manage to spend half his net worth on just exotic pets?
His Exotic Collection Cost Him A Boatload Of Money…A Month
When he still had his $400 million net worth during the peak of his career, Tyson didn’t just spend an astronomical amount of money on just pets. He bought anything and everything he could because he could when he returned from prison in 1995, and his shopping spree landed him at the exotic pet shop.
Among the bizarre things he bought during this time, he bought a huge collection of exotic pigeons and cats.
He reportedly bought 70 pigeons, which he couldn’t even tell apart, and two Siberian tigers, but it’s unknown how much this little zoo cost him exactly. We do know how much their collective upkeep cost, however.
According to Showbiz Cheatsheet, he spent a whopping $400,000 a month on their upkeep alone. So we’re talking about food, shelter, and all the little accessories it takes to keep these creatures happy and content. But Tyson was willing to spend that much because he’d loved pigeons since he was a child.
As you can tell, money was no object to Tyson during this period of freedom. It’s like he had to make up for not buying anything while he was in prison. Tyson told Graham Bensinger that he viewed money as “blood paper” and didn’t really see himself as a “money type of guy.” It’s just how he lived his life, he says. It’s his “addictive personality.”
He also said that not having much when he was growing up and the anger he felt from being locked up also contributed to his spending.
Well, the money did run out eventually, even though he didn’t even really think about it happening. Tyson had to file for bankruptcy in 2003 and lost much of his prized possessions. But he surprisingly took responsibility for his actions and didn’t regret splashing the cash because he had fun doing it. We’re not sure where all his cats and pigeons went, but he probably didn’t give them to unsafe homes.
