How Britney Spears Really Lost So Much Of Her Money

Britney Spears performing at the SAP Center

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There’s no doubt in everyone’s mind that Britney Spears is pop royalty — so much so that she will go down in history as one of the greatest artists of our time. From teen icon to global pop sensation, she’s been smashing records since the ’90s and earned her place in music history a long time ago. Given her legendary status, it’s natural to assume that she’s sitting comfortably on a pile of cash — and once upon a time, she probably did. Britney’s fortune has taken a hit over the years, primarily due to her infamous conservatorship and, apparently, some questionable spending habits of her own.

No conversation about Britney will be complete without mentioning the conservatorship that controlled her life for more than a decade. For nearly 14 years, her finances and day-to-day were controlled by a team led by none other than her father, Jamie Spears. Britney says the arrangement drained around $36 million of her hard-earned money — some of it reportedly went to Jamie’s failed reality TV ambitions and legal woes not involving Britney. And just when she thought she was free, she still had to pay over $2 million for his legal bills after they settled.

Now, post-conservatorship, Britney is supposedly back in control of everything — and reportedly worth $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This bounce-back is largely due to her tell-all memoir and a few more big-money deals. But while $40 million sounds like a fortune (well, it is), insiders claim that Britney’s spending habits may put her financial future at risk.

Is Britney squandering her own money?

Britney Spears at the Once Upon A Time in Hollywood premiere

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Considering how she has not had control of her money for years, it shouldn’t come as a shock that Britney Spears is having fun with her hard-earned cash now. And who could blame her? If every single purchase had to be court-approved for years, you’d probably go a little wild, too. Then again, according to sources, Britney might be having too much fun with her finances — but no one in her inner circle wants to confront her for it. After all, the last thing anyone wants is to be seen as the next Jamie Spears. “She has no concept of money,” a source told Page Six.

And while Britney still has managers who try to advise her on the best money moves, she’s apparently not interested in listening to them and is hell-bent on doing what she likes. “She blew a fortune on her recent birthday bash in Mexico, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” another insider dished to InTouch Weekly. “Her money managers have been begging her to slow down her spending. She totally ignores their warnings, though, and just accuses them of trying to control her like her father.” To make matters worse, word is that she already burned through a chunk of her bonus from her bestselling memoir. Her net worth may be around $40 million, but that number isn’t exactly trending upward.

The upside? Britney still has massive earning potential and can totally rake in millions like she used to — but only if she chooses to. “She can perform live again, and songwriters continue to pitch music that, if Britney actually recorded it, could be hits,” a source said. Only time will tell whether she wants to be rich and free — or just free.