Former Fugees member Wyclef Jean is reportedly broke, according to his business manager.
The Smoking Gun reports that the entertainer, who only a couple of years ago tried to run for the Haitian presidency, reportedly is in debt to Uncle Sam to the tune of $2.9 million in tax liens.
Through a confidential agreement that was drawn up, the international 44-year-old Haitian ambassador reportedly said he would fork over $100,000 to entertainment law firm Shukat Arrow Hafer Weber & Herbsman to settle an outstanding bill of $133,000. Jean, according to The Smoking Gun, was requested to satisfy his outstanding debt with the law firm via two installments: $10,000 by last August 1 and another $50,000 by the end of last year.
According to the alleged agreement, if Jean made the two payments totaling $60,000, the law firm would waive $40,000. If the entertainer, however, failed to make good on the agreement, an additional ten percent annual interest would also get tacked on to the $100,000. Jean did not make any payments to the firm, according to The Smoking Gun. His accountant, David Levin, reportedly sent out an email in January to the celeb’s creditors stating, “in my most professional verbiage…there ain’t no money.” The email was sent out in response to the law firm’s threats of impending court action against Jean.
Levin reportedly told the legal eagles to go ahead and “file it” and they did. Now, Jean reportedly owes the firm $102,027.40.
He has had other money woes in the past as well.
Following the Haitian earthquake, Jean was questioned about the handling of the finances of his now defunct charitable organization, Yele Haiti. The non-profit foundation collected over $16 million in donations following the series of earthquakes that decimated the island’s capital city, Port-Au-Prince.
Yele Haiti closed its doors in 2012, leaving a parade of upset creditors in its wake.
Morning Met and all! That’s why Wyclef did a run fi president a Haiti- fi tief out di money! God nah sleep cause a same way him tief out di money from him foundation dat was to help di poor after di big earthquake smh…. a good fi him- yuh not to steal from the poor!
good morning…now where the money gone doe?
Met- supporting di lavish lifestyle despite him not bringing in any income—-when last Wyclef have a good hit song?
karma is a bitch!!!!! innit
So, him did have plenty of confidence fe run fe Presidency inna fe him country, but even though de Haitian people dem have a high illiteracy rate, dem a nuh fool den ? Dem smart, caw dem never put no confidence inna him being President. If him caan preside over him own funds, den how de hell him goin preside over other peoples’?