Matt Baron/BEICharlie Sheen's health isn't the only part of his life being put under the microscope this week.
While the former Two and a Half Men star revealed on Today that he is HIV-positive, the actor also claimed that a lot of people demanded money from him in order to stay silent about the diagnosis.
"I have paid those people—not that many, but enough to where it has depleted the future," he shared with Matt Lauer. "I don't want to guess wrong, but enough to bring it into the millions. What people forget is that's money they're taking from my children. You know? They think it's just me. But I've got five kids and a granddaughter, you know?"
On the heels of his latest revelation, we looked into Sheen's finances in recent years. According to Forbes, Sheen pulled in $131 million between 2008 and 2013, and that doesn't include his syndication deal with Anger Management that could net him upwards of $200 million.
But as it turns out, Sheen may still not be financially secure in the years to come if he doesn't land major roles.
"$131 million was obviously pre-tax, which is important to note. While that might sound like a lot of money, it is surprising how quickly an expensive lifestyle can help you burn through that," Forbes staff writer Natalie Robehmed told E! News. "While it might seem like he is perfectly set up, but I also read like everybody else that he paid $10 million to keep his diagnosis a secret. Without knowing his investments, I don't necessarily think that it's a sure thing that he is set for life."
She continued, "I think like some of the rest of us, he might have to do some good financial planning in the future."
During his interview on Today, Sheen confessed to having been blackmailed for up to $10 million. By speaking out, the 50-year-old said he believes he can finally stop paying the people who were supposedly threatening to expose him.
Forbes also estimated Sheen's income in 2011 to be an estimated $40 million. As to how he made so much money during his public meltdown and final year of Two and a Half Men, it may have something to do with Hollywood contracts (and the breach-of-contract lawsuit against his former bosses that he successfully settled for upward of $25 million).
"Essentially, Charlie had negotiated an upfront salary that was a seven-figure per episode salary for Two and a Half Men," Robehmed revealed to E! News. "He was also touring at that time and did a bunch of endorsements, including paid Twitter ads, so a lot of that contributes to his overall figure for that year."
Looking toward the future, Sheen is confident that his revelation will not affect his status or standing in Hollywood too much.
"As we speak, I have the chairman of Sony excited about doing a show again. I have a couple of films lined up that I can put start dates on," he told Lauer. "Thus far, there has been no resistance."
To learn more about HIV/AIDS and to contribute in the fight against the diseases, visit amfAR.
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