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For a movie star, Jason Isaacs says his financial situation isn’t what you’d expect.
“People will think I have huge stockpiles of money,” the “White Lotus” star told Vulture in an interview published on June 16. “But sadly, what I’ve done rather immaturely is expand my outgoings to match my incomings and pretty much spent everything I’ve earned over the years.”
The English actor has more than 168 credits on IMDB dating back to 1988, including iconic roles such as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter film adaptations and Col. William Tavington in the 2000 hit “The Patriot.” But while Isaacs has long enjoyed a high-powered and lucrative career — Business Insider previously reported he, and every other top-billed actor on the show, earned $40,000 per episode of “White Lotus” — his admission is indicative of a common financial misstep that plagues high-earners: lifestyle creep.
“It’s really common to have lifestyle creep, and it’s basically this phenomenon: When you earn more money, you spend more money,” Robert Persichitte, a certified financial planner, told Business Insider. “People will see extra money in their bank account, and then they’ll spend it, and then they get used to it, and it gets kind of locked into your lifestyle — and it becomes really, really difficult to get out of it.”
Representatives for Isaacs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
‘Do you want to be rich, or do you want to be wealthy?’
Lifestyle creep is most insidious when you begin spending your extra income on big-ticket items like expensive cars, fancy homes, or recurring subscription expenses like gym memberships, Persichitte said. That’s not to say more modest luxuries like spa services or a trendy wardrobe can’t add up, but he said those types of transactions are easier to stop splurging on if your financial situation changes.
“It’s a very common scenario: You get somebody who has their first high-paying job, and they get excited, they go out and spend it, and then about six months later, they realize they hate that high-paying job,” Persichitte said. “If you bought a new car or bought a new house, that is a very, very difficult decision to walk back.”
Isaacs is far from the only celebrity to experience a problem with lifestyle creep. Al Pacino, in his 2024 autobiography, said he went from a $50 million fortune to “broke” because he didn’t control his spending. Other stars — from Michael Jackson to Mike Tyson — have also racked up tremendous amounts of debt despite having multimillion-dollar incomes.
While it may be tempting to adopt a more lavish lifestyle or emulate your favorite celebrity’s spending habits if you receive a promotion or financial windfall, Persichitte cautions against it.
Persichitte recalled a 2008 Time interview with Flo Rida, in which the rapper said mogul Rick Ross advised that, in order to make more money, Flo Rida should spend “with the confidence of someone who knows he’s going to make a lot more.”
“I wouldn’t recommend that,” Persichitte said. “And the logic to me is: Do you want to be rich, or do you want to be wealthy?”
The difference is that a rich person’s financial situation hinges on their next paycheck, which means a job loss or emergency or an impending prison sentence — which was likely in the future for Isaacs’ character in “White Lotus” — could make it all crumble. In comparison, Persichitte said, a wealthy person has long-term stability because they’ve prioritized sound investments that allow them more control over their finances.
The easiest way to avoid lifestyle creep is to have a plan for your money so it’s not just sitting in your bank account, Persichitte said. Whether that be a 401(k) or locking some portion of your funds away in a CD account, nearly anything is better than having your liquid cash available in your checking account — but “the more invisible, the better,” he added.
“The further away you can keep that money from the checking account, the less likely you are going to have that lifestyle creep,” Persichitte said. “If your net pay doesn’t go up, you don’t feel rich, and you don’t feel the need to spend.”
Speaking to Vulture, Isaacs said that he has turned down multiple roles over the years that would have offered him a more substantial nest egg to lean back on. While he said he doesn’t regret the moves “careerwise or artistically,” he acknowledged it is a financial sore spot for him.
“There’s a number of things I could have done over the years that would’ve made me rich,” Isaacs said. “And now that I’m toward the autumn of my career, I think maybe I’m an idiot and I should have done some of those things and just banked it, because other people do.”
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