For many millennials, boy bands like *NSYNC were a big part of, often a foundational part of, their lives. However, very few fans knew that behind the glamour, the members were struggling. A recent conversation between Lance Bass and Zach Sang on the Zach Sang Show pulled back the curtain. The clip, which was then shared on TikTok and Instagram, has already racked up over 2 million views.
The video began with Sang bringing up Bass’s pay during his time with the boy band. Bass said, “Yeah, we got a per diem, $35 a day.” Bass’s revelation prompted a sarcastic comment from the podcast’s other host, who sarcastically said, “Wow. Rich!” Sang then stated, “I mean, you really only ended up making like between five and $10,000 from this thing, though.”
Bass replied, “Yeah. It was, uh, our first check. It was a $10,000 check after years of number-one albums, sellout tours. I mean, I don’t know how many millions I made off our merchandise, because merchandise was insane. And then they finally give us a check for $10,000. They’re like, oh, thanks. We should be grateful for that. We’ve been working for free for two, three years now. Yeah.”
Managed by a man who ran a Ponzi scheme
As they talked about the money from their album on the podcast, Bass did clarify that he gets residuals from the band’s tracks. However, he quickly noted, “People think it’s so weird… how people think I’m so filthy rich from NSYNC. No, not at all. I did well after NSYNC. And I’m very proud of everything I did after that. But I didn’t make money with NSYNC hardly at all.” Then Sang pointed out that the money had to go somewhere, saying, “Someone did [get rich], though.”
Bass didn’t hold back: “Oh, yes, they did. A couple of people did. Yeah, I mean, the label made a F-ton. Can I curse on the show? Yes. And Lou Pearlman, of course, one of the biggest scam artists of all time, made a lot.”
A&E reported that Lou Pearlman was a professional fraudster who built an empire of boy bands by exploiting young talent. Additionally, Pearlman was reportedly involved in various scams, including fake blimps and an imaginary airline.
Per the outlet, he essentially used his music management company, Trans Continental, as a vehicle to control young groups like the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC. While he was their manager, he even went as far as making himself a member of the Backstreet Boys on paper to take an equal share of their earnings.
Sang also asked Bass whether he held any resentment about that time. Bass said, “Not anymore. No, I did at a time. I’m like, God, who was there to protect us? And so I was kind of mad at the adults in the room. The adults in the room saying, ‘Oh, you’re just a kid. Oh, you’re fine. Oh, dance, you know, land on your knees. You’re young. You know you don’t need to sleep. You’re a kid.’”
In the video, he added, “Everyone just kept saying, ‘You’re young. You’re young.’ Well, who cares if you’re young? You still need to, you know, make a living and set yourself up for the future.”
Many of the fans were shocked. On Instagram, one user commented, “The music industry is predatory af,” while another added, “What the actual f? This should be illegal.” Many fans also took to the comments to call for a reunion, hoping to see the group get the payday they deserve.
One user wrote, “Timberlake for the lore needs to just give them one tour or residency so they can make CRAZY money and stop.” Another noted, “Seeing how good backstreet boys are doing now, it makes me sad that N Sync doesn’t get the flowers they deserve and the chance to tour to make all that money back.”
On TikTok, a user asked, “WHERE DID ALL MY MONEY GO?!?!” Meanwhile, another user pointed out, “Having grown up as an NSYNC Fan who’s now in her 40s, this saddens me so much to hear. $10,000 is wild.”
According to A&E, Pearlman was eventually caught and sentenced to 25 years in prison for his massive Ponzi scheme. He reportedly died in 2016 while serving his time.
Published: Oct 10, 2026 11:35 am