With over three decades in the entertainment industry, veteran comedian Steve Harvey is proud to share his journey to becoming a television legend. During a recent episode of his latest series “Judge Steve Harvey,” the 65-year-old shared why he believed he found fame later in life even with hard work.
The admission came during an episode titled “I’ve Learned Absolutely Nothing,” when he scolded a young man for paying $17,000 toward a Tesla car despite still owing a friend $5,000. Still, the longtime host said he couldn’t go too harsh on the guy admitting that he would’ve made similar decisions at his age.
“The Lord didn’t give me this money when I was in my 30s. You know why he didn’t give me this life in my 30s?” the host said. “Because he knew I’da blew it,” he continued. “Because I’da taken advantage of this fame and this money in a different kind of way. So the Lord waited till I was too old to mess it up. The Lord waited until I had good sense. Then He gave me a life and appreciating a family and somebody to work toward. That’s how God works; He’s smart.”
Last month, Harvey opened up about his financial history during an appearance on the “Earn Your Leisure Podcast” with co-hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, where he recalled owing the IRS $22 million in 2008.
“My accountant died, and an accountant that worked for him called my lawyer and said, ‘We have a problem,’” he said, shocking listeners. “She had found on the floor all my tax forms for seven years, signed with the checks stapled to them.” He explained that his advisors “were cashing the checks, keeping the money, and not turning in the tax forms.”
When asked how the incident occurred when the checks were signed out to the government, he explained that “They didn’t cash it; they took the money out the account that matched the exact number.” Harvey ultimately spent the next seven years paying back $650,000 a month, including his current taxes and daily living expenses.
