Source: investing.com\By Kate Prince
Being famous comes with many luxuries that the general public can’t afford. Fast cars, sprawling mansions, bank balances that are never in the red – the list is endless. But, as every A-list celebrity will tell you, fame is a double-edged sword.
Disney stars, pop singers, and actors, and actresses don’t have the freedom that we take for granted, but they do have the money to hire help to make their lives easier.
In Hollywood, a good bodyguard is like finding a needle in a haystack, which is why these stars pay through the nose to keep them. Luckily, they can afford it.
After all, if you’ve got to shell out hundreds of thousands a year on personal security, you need to have more than just a couple of bucks in your bank account. Stars like Madonna may have a net worth of $610 million, but the more money you earn, the more you’ve got to pay up – especially when it comes to staying safe.
36. Brad Pitt
Star’s Net Worth: $300 million*Annual Protection Cost: $2 million*
Brad Pitt is one of the most famous actors in the world, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t have just any old bodyguard. Though he often employs teams of security to make sure he isn’t hassled by fans from one point to another, one bodyguard that stands out is Billy Billingham, who was a S.A.S. soldier before he became a bodyguard.
Billingham worked with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie when they were together, and he had nothing but good things to say about the couple after spending six months with them. He told Women’s Day that he was “impressed” by how strongly they cared about their kids’ safety.
37. Harry Styles
Star’s Net Worth: $80 million*Annual Protection Cost: $1 million*
Pop star Harry Styles loves the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger so much that he even hired Jagger’s former bodyguard. However, it wasn’t just his love of the rocker that inspired him to hire some serious security. Unfortunately, there was an incident in London in early 2020 that caused him to reevaluate his need for security.
The former One Direction band member was mugged on February 14, 2020, just a short time after being the victim of a stalker. After these back-to-back incidents, he quickly beefed up security. Though he was spotted out and about with his friends, people did notice that he kept his bodyguard close with him throughout the evening.
38. Katie Holmes
Star’s Net Worth: $25 million*Annual Protection Cost: $200,000*
Actress Katie Holmes got her start on the TV show Dawson’s Creek, and, after that award-winning show, she was able to secure roles in movies like Batman Begins, The Secret, First Daughter, and Jack and Jill. What really propelled her fame to the stratosphere was her marriage to actor Tom Cruise.
Though she and Cruise parted ways, the two were hounded by paparazzi for years, which had to have been especially hard on their daughter, Suri. Though Holmes has downsized since the split, she still employs a team of security guards to keep her and her daughter safe. Even when running to the store, Holmes has bodyguards around her.
39. Demi Lovato
Star’s Net Worth: $40 million*Annual Protection Cost: $500,000*
Fans know about Demi Lovato and her bodyguard, Max, and the two are often playing pranks on one another. The pop singer got her start on Disney, and her fame has only increased since then, as she’s expanded her career. The “Lovatics” can get a little rowdy, so Demi has Max (and a team of bodyguards) to keep them at bay.
Max (Twitter handle: @2Maxx22) defended Lovato against criticism from fans in 2018, saying that the singer is “incredible to work for and with.” He said she “does everything she can” for her friends, fans, and family. He capped off the tweet with a “Love you” to Demi.
40. Kim Kardashian
Star’s Net Worth: $900 million*Annual Protection Cost: $7 million*
The news exploded with headlines in 2018 after Kim Kardashian was robbed. She later ended up suing her former bodyguard, Pascal Duvier, and Protect Security, his company, for $6.1 million, a lawsuit that settled out of court in 2020. After the scary incident, Kardashian completely overhauled her security.
The mother and businesswoman (and soon-to-be lawyer!) amped up security. She now pays $7 million a year to have round-the-clock teams protect her and her four kids. As fans of Keeping Up With the Kardashians have seen, the famous family has to be extremely vigilant against aggressive fans who take their love for the reality star too far.
41. Tom Cruise
Star’s Net Worth: $600 million*Annual Protection Cost: $50,000 per week*
Though Tom Cruise might do all his own stunts, that doesn’t mean that he’s exempt from needing a bodyguard to watch his back. The famous actor’s bodyguard is Billy Billingham, who worked with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Cruise also previously worked with Sean Ringgold, though the two had personal disagreements and went their separate ways.
As you can imagine, many people are willing to pay big bucks for a tell-all after a bodyguard quits working for Tom Cruise. Billingham, true to form, had nothing negative to say about the actor, other than an amusing anecdote where he thought he was defending him from an assailant—until that “assailant” turned out to be Penelope Cruz.
42. Prince Harry
Star’s Net Worth: $25-$40 million*Annual Protection Cost: $2.92 million*
As you can imagine, Prince Harry has a lot of bodyguards. Anyone in the Royal Family has a target on their back, so the British government is willing to spend money to protect them from possible harm. When Prince Harry was part of the Royal Family, a team of fifteen security guards was specifically dedicated to protecting Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle.
These fifteen guards lived in three different homes, while some lived in Prince Harry’s house with him and Meghan. Now that they’ve moved on, the former Royals instead use an L.A. security firm that charges $8,000 per day.
43. Angelina Jolie
Star’s Net Worth: $120 million*Annual Protection Cost: $2 million*
Angelina Jolie and her former husband, Brad Pitt, have six kids, so, understandably, they need the extra security. The couple’s former bodyguard, Billy Billingham, praised the couple for being dedicated to their kids’ safety. He also said that Jolie was constantly concerned that the kids could be taken for ransom.
The stars have a combined net worth that approaches $1 billion, so that’s not an outlandish fear. Billingham noted that he was impressed with Jolie’s time management skills, and she seemed to have time to “do everything.” Though Billingham has since moved on, Jolie still employs a team of security to protect herself and her children.
44. Jack Nicholson
Star’s Net Worth: $400 million*Annual Protection Cost: $10,000*
Apparently, actor Jack Nicholson’s bodyguards don’t play around. One reporter, Kratovil Horn, discovered that when he approached Nicholson about a possible interview. According to Horn, the bodyguards immediately shoved him back. However, Horn said that he has no hard feelings for what happened, saying they were just doing their job.
Nicholson isn’t very involved in Hollywood anymore, after decades spent playing a wide variety of character roles. The former Joker is eighty-three years old now, but he hasn’t let that slow him down. One of his relatives told the press that the actor is “doing great” and “100 percent.”
45. Kendrick Lamar
Star’s Net Worth: $75 million*Annual Protection Cost: $500,000*
The size difference between rapper Kendrick Lamar and his bodyguard was so extreme that it led fans to compare the two to Bran Stark and Hodor, two characters from the Game of Thrones franchise. Until pictures of Lamar and his bodyguard hit the internet, fans weren’t aware that the rapper was only 5’5” tall.
Lamar takes it all in stride, however, opening up on the JoJo Wright Radio Show about how he’s okay being short. The “Swimming Pools” rapper (who reportedly loves memes) inspired a lot of Twitter jokes with that photo, with one fan tweeting, “House Motto: Flyness is Coming.”
46. Paris Hilton
Star’s Net Worth: $300 million*Annual Protection Cost: $182,500*
Paris Hilton has been super-famous since the early 2000s, but the heiress’s family has likely had bodyguards protecting her before that, as she is part of the Hilton Hotel empire. Now, the blonde reality star is a businesswoman with an empire of her own, and she has six bodyguards at her beck and call.
Hilton posted a picture the group, captioning it, “My amazing security team!” and calling them her personal “Men in Black.” Reportedly, Hilton has even hired bodyguards specifically to watch over her 22-carat, super-expensive engagement ring. Considering that the ring costs more than most houses, that is understandable.
47. Drake
Star’s Net Worth: $150 million*Annual Protection Cost: $365,000*
Drake’s bodyguard looks extremely menacing, and, judging from the photos and videos that have amassed over the years of him yelling at people, that impression might be accurate. Drake is one of the most famous rappers in the world, and his security team is top-notch.
The rapper never hesitates to hire more people onto his entourage, especially after there’s been a melee at a nightclub (like the one that happened with famous hothead Chris Brown in New York City). Drake has a reputation as rap’s “nice guy,” but the people around him have quite a different story. As the rapper said in the song “Popstar,” “Bodyguards don’t look like Kevin Costner.”
48. Bruce Willis
Star’s Net Worth: $250 million*Annual Protection Cost: $200,000*
Bruce Willis not only starred in a movie that featured him as a bodyguard, he also has a team of his own security to keep him safe. The Die Hard actor has starred in many thrillers, but he still needs help managing all the fans. When he was with actress Demi Moore, he was also hounded by paparazzi.
In fact, Willis is a friend to bodyguards, even helping one of them, Michael Clarke Duncan, get an Oscar. Duncan was a bodyguard for Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, LL Cool J, and the Notorious B.I.G. before he decided to become an actor. He met Willis on the set of a movie, and it was Willis’ influence that helped him get his Oscar-winning role as John Coffey in The Green Mile.
49. Kanye West
Star’s Net Worth: $3.2 billion*Annual Protection Cost: $100,000 per day*
The press hounds Kanye West and his wife Kim Kardashian, so it’s no wonder that the rapper and fashion tycoon spends millions on security each year. Kanye West formerly worked with a bodyguard named “Savage Steve,” who was an NYPD-officer-turned-Chippendales-dancer before he got a job in personal protection.
Savage Steve and West parted ways, in part because, according to the bodyguard, the rapper was a little hard to work for. Steve described West as pretty moody and always “ranting.” However, it doesn’t seem to have stopped other bodyguards from working for the rapper, as West is always spotted out and about with a heavy entourage.
50. Miley Cyrus
Star’s Net Worth: $160 million*Annual Protection Cost: $1 million*
Miley Cyrus is one of the world’s most famous pop stars, and she’s had security working round-the-clock to protect her since she was a teenager starring on Hannah Montana. Cyrus’ father, Billy Ray, is a country star himself, so she’s no stranger to crazy fans crowding her and her family.
Cyrus beefed up her security team in 2019, and it was lucky she did, as her stalker was arrested at the iHeartFestival shortly thereafter. It was Cyrus’ bodyguards who spotted the stalker out in the audience at the Festival, and they immediately notified authorities and had him arrested. Thankfully, no one got hurt.
51. Cheryl Cole
Star’s Net Worth: $40 million*Annual Protection Cost: $80,000 per year*
Cheryl Cole is a former pop star turned reality TV judge. She has gained a lot of adoring fans through her music and television appearance, so it’s no surprise that she’d hired heavy security to protect her from possible harm. As her fellow X Factor judge, Sharon Osbourne said, Cole needs a bodyguard to “keep men away.”
Cole has been photographed with her security team, though they keep a pretty low profile. One of her former bodyguards, Craig Balkam, was reportedly paid nearly $80,000 for his services. As Balkam’s friend said, the bodyguard “would have taken a bullet for [Cole].”
52. Gal Gadot
Star’s Net Worth: $30 million*Annual Protection Cost: $8,000-$10,000 per day*
See? Even Wonder Woman has her own personal security team, though, as one fan joked about a photo of Gadot and Aquaman’s Jason Momoa being trailed by a team of bodyguards, it looks like those two are protecting the security personnel. Gadot hired The Bodyguard Group of Beverly Hills to protect her while she was at awards ceremonies and events.
The Wonder Woman star was paid just $300,000 for her starring role in the first WW movie, but she would later score a $10 million salary for starring in Wonder Woman 1984. Gadot will likely need more bodyguards as her fame continues to increase.
53. Kylie Minogue
Star’s Net Worth: $100 million*Annual Protection Cost: $1.8 million*
Kylie Minogue’s bodyguard made a list of “Biggest Bodyguards” on iHeartRadio. Next to her muscled-up security, the pop star looked downright tiny. As paparazzi know, her giant bodyguard is not anyone you want to mess with. Minogue’s personal security has even gotten into scuffles at LAX to keep photographers at bay.
However, Minogue is still up for autographs with fans and a few photos when she’s at LAX. The singer became famous in the late 1990s with her single “The Loco-Motion,” followed by a 2001 hit “Can’t Get You Out of My Head.” Her net worth is in the hundred-million range, according to estimates.
54. Whitney Houston
Star’s Net Worth: $21 million*Annual Protection Cost: N/A
The late singer Whitney Houston starred in a romantic movie called The Bodyguard, which was actually based on someone who protected Houston in real life: David Roberts, a Welsh bodyguard with whom Houston was close. Roberts was a police officer in North Wales before he turned to personal security.
He worked with the singer for seven years, from 1988 until 1995. He was let go, sadly, for bringing up his prescient concerns about Houston’s health to her team. Roberts now has his own security firm in Florida, but he opened up in a documentary about Houston, saying he feels like she would be alive today if her team had listened to him.
55. Christina Aguilera
Star’s Net Worth: $160 million*
Annual Protection Cost: $1 million*
Singer Christina Aguilera has been famous since the early 2000s, thanks to hits like “Lady Marmalade” and “Stronger.” The singer now has a net worth of over $100 million, and she spends a good chunk of that money on security to keep aggressive paparazzi and fans at bay.
The singer looks super small next to her bodyguard, who was reportedly hired by Anthony Davis, the owner of a company called AD Entertainment. Davis worked with Aguilera on her Three Wishes Tour, and he was in charge of hiring security. For more fan-heavy awards shows, Aguilera has a team of bodyguards.
56. Pamela Anderson
Star’s Net Worth: $12 million*Annual Protection Cost: Unknown (They’re Married Now)
Model and actress Pamela Anderson is experiencing a real-life Bodyguard story with her own personal security detail. Anderson revealed that she and her bodyguard, Dan Hayhurst (who also works as a contractor) fell in love while they were stuck inside together during 2020. Hayhurst is also from the same small Canadian hometown as Anderson.
The model shared a few photos of the simple wedding, and she said that she feels she’s “exactly where [she] need[s] to be.” The two got married on a property that Anderson purchased from her grandparent’s twenty-five years ago, something that she described as “full circle.”
57. Queen Elizabeth
Star’s Net Worth: $480 million*Annual Protection Cost: $138.42 million*
Queen Elizabeth is the British head of state, so it makes sense that she would have her own team of bodyguards. Called the Queen’s Guard, Her Royal Highness literally has a team of infantry soldiers hired to protect her. These soldiers guard the residences in the U.K. Some of the rules and policies governing these guards have been in place since 1660.
When Queen Elizabeth is in residence, she has three officers and forty ranks protecting her. There are sentries posted at Buckingham and St. James Palace. The estimated cost of the Queen’s Guard and other security personnel hired to protect the Royal Family is over $138 million per year.
58. Justin Timberlake
Star’s Net Worth: $250 million*Annual Protection Cost: $1 million*
Justin Timberlake’s security has a reputation as a group you do not want to mess with, and Timberlake and his friends often find themselves having to defend their personnel against claims that his bodyguards got too rough with paparazzi or fans. The pop star always has security with him and his wife, Jessica Biel.
He even takes security if he’s just going out to lunch with a friend. Timberlake has been famous for several decades now since he was a member of NSYNC, which was one of the most popular boy bands of the nineties. Since the 1990s, he’s had a successful solo and acting career.
59. Jessie J
Star’s Net Worth: $30 million*Annual Protection Cost: $200,000*
Jessie J and her bodyguard, who she termed a “gentle giant” worked together for four years. The thirty-year-old pop star and her bodyguard, Dave, were very close up until, sadly, Dave passed away in 2018. The pop star called him her “rock” and said that she was devastated at his passing.
In her touching tribute to her late bodyguard, she talked about his cooking and how he would carry her to the stage because she didn’t want her heels to get stuck in the mud. The pop star has since hired more security, but she still often reminisces about Dave on social media.
60. Chris Evans
Star’s Net Worth: $80 million*Annual Protection Cost: $1 million*
Chris Evans, who played Captain America, looks like he could be a bodyguard himself. The super-fit actor has made millions from his role in the MCU, and, though it appears he’s put down his shield for now, you never know if he’ll pick it back up.
Evans is often trailed by bodyguards at awards ceremonies and other paparazzi-heavy events. Evans once worked with Leonard Taylor, who has been the bodyguard for several other celebrities, including A-listers like Mark Wahlberg and Uma Thurman. Unfortunately for Taylor, he has since fallen out of favor with Hollywood after doing a series of tell-all interviews.