How Gary Busey Achieved a Net Worth of $500,000

Gary Busey is a noteworthy actor, who is predominantly known for his work in major films as well as TV shows; unfortunately, Gary Busey has had a lot of struggles in his life, and even with a successful career, he’s made some poor financial decisions, which have caused his net worth numbers to change dramatically. What is Gary Busey’s net worth, and will his net worth grow or plummet in the years to come?

Who is Gary Busey?

On Celebrity Apprentice, former president Donald Trump said of Busey, “He’s either a genius or a moron and I can’t figure it out.” This quote sums up the complex nature of Gary Busey. Busey has had huge successes as an actor, but he’s also had a lot of career and personal low points, which have given him bad press and have made it hard for him to maintain his income.

Although Busey actually started as a musician, he did not find his niche in music, and he found his footing as an actor. He has been in more than 150 works, showing a deep commitment to the art of acting. He’s been in notable works like Buddy Holly Story and Lethal Weapon.

Gary Busey’s Early Life

On June 29, 1944, Gary Busey was born in Goose Creek, Texas, but he spent much of his life in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he attended Bell Junior High School and Nathan Hale High School. After some time in community college, Busey when to Pittsburg State University in Kansas, where he was a scholarship student who played football for the school. He then transferred to Oklahoma State University after a knee injury. At this school, he took an interest in theater, but he dropped out before he graduated.

Busey began his professional career as a drummer, and he had modest success in his musical career, but when he started taking small TV roles, he established himself as an actor instead. Works like Thunderbolt and Lightfoot helped him gain prominence, which would lead him to his most popular future TV and film roles.

What is Gary Busey’s Net Worth?

Most sources suggest that Gary Busey is only worth $500 thousand. While this number isn’t too shabby, for an actor who has been in so many projects, it’s a little shocking. In 2012, after years of struggles after an accident, Busey couldn’t maintain his wealth, and he had to file for bankruptcy because he was half a million dollars in debt. He has recovered somewhat from this bankruptcy, but he certainly still has financial worries and has to be more careful with his money than most celebrities. It’s unlikely he will ever fully recover his net worth because he still deals with a lot of health and personal struggles.

How Did Gary Busey Make His Money?

Busey has made his money from his long entertainment career. He has been in more than a hundred films and TV shows. While some of his roles have been small parts, he has established himself as a lasting name in the industry.

Gary Busey Controversy and Struggles

One of the biggest impediments to Gary Busey’s net worth and overall career has been some of his controversies and hardships that have made it hard for him to earn the income he needs to sustain himself as a top-notch actor.

Among the most notable struggles that Gary Busey faced was a brain injury in 1988. This brain injury occurred after a severe motorcycle accident. Busey had not been wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, which made his injuries worse. This accident would lead to many of the controversies and struggles that Busey would face in the ongoing years. Even Busey’s own son suggests that he lost his dad the day of the accident. The post-accident Busey was very different, and his normal personality was taken to extremes.

The brain damage has resulted in a wide range of consequences. Since the accident, drug addiction has been a huge part of Busey’s life. While he’d had drug issues before the accident, he started using them again heavily after the accident. Cocaine use led to an overdose, which made him realize that he had to become sober. He has also had many incidents of erratic behavior, which has damaged his reputation and has made it harder for him to maintain his career.

Busey Passed Away from Surgery

In May 2020, Busey told the Guardian about his struggles with brain surgery. He said, “I passed away after brain surgery. Then I came back.” If anyone has nine lives, it has to be Busey, who has survived hardships that some people couldn’t even dream of surviving.

The greatest controversy that Gary Busey has faced recently was related to sexual harassment and assault complaints from several women. CNN reported in August 2022 that Busey asked detectives to “talk victims out of pursuing complaints.” Busey has denied that anything has happened with the women who suggested they were groped by Busey. However, he did tell detectives to apologize on his behalf to the women and try to get them to withdraw their complaints. He said that certain body parts could be touched mistakenly. He has faced charges by three different women.

There’s no doubt that Gary Busey is one of the more troubled celebrities out there. He has struggled to find a good path in life, and his past mistakes and mishaps have made it even harder to move on healthily. Even so, Busey has made it to old age, even with all those challenges, and he keeps on trying to get up and live his life.

What is Gary Busey Currently Doing?

Busey is still active and occasionally takes on acting or hosting pursuits, at nearly 80 years old, he doesn’t push himself too hard. He has a supportive wide, Steffanie who supports him throughout many of his hardships. He is dramatically different than he once was, but he has managed to carry on with his life, and despite his many challenges, he has tried to carry on and be grateful for the good things that have happened to him.

State of Gary Busey’s Career

The state of Busey’s career could certainly be better. With a sordid past, medical issues, and current controversies, a lot of future opportunities are on the line for Busey. It’s unclear whether Busey will be able to recover his career and boost his net worth and get it back to where it once was. It’s apparent that Busey’s severe brain injury has hugely impacted his behavior, which has made it hard for him to live a balanced and productive life.

While Busey is known for his erratic personality, before the accident, he was a big name in Hollywood and was even nominated for an Oscar for his skills. However, he has been reduced to cameos and bit-parts, which do allow him to sustain himself, but do not give him the same esteem he once had.