Johnny Depp's charitable splurges outweigh alleged $30k monthly wine expenses

$30k per month on wine, $3m to blast Hunter S. Thompson's ashes out of a cannon and $18m on a 150ft yacht. These are just a few of Johnny Depp's lavish expenses that were laid bare this week amid the Hollywood A-lister's ongoing legal wrangling with his former business managers.

However, maintaining the level of luxury he is accustomed to isn't the only thing that Depp spends his money on− he is also a humble philanthropist. The father-of-two supports a number of charities and causes that are close to his heart such as War Child and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Since 2008, he has made an annual donation of around £1m to London's Great Ormond Street, the hospital that treated his daughter after she suffered from temporary kidney failure in 2007.

A helping hand

"For me it's a gift. They give me the gift," he told Graham Norton back in December 2015. "When my daughter was ill in Great Ormond Street, it was the darkest period of my life. I'd always done these visits but after that experience the visits became more and more important.

He also donated his fee for 2009 film The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus to the daughter of Heath Ledger, who passed away from an accidental overdose – after Depp was brought in for a star turn as the deceased actor's character for the film.

It is also hard to forget he insisted his $7m divorce settlement to Amber Heard was given directly to charities helping abused women.

Money matters

Worth an estimated $400m, the Pirates Of The Carribean star – who is one of the most sought-after and highest-paid actors in the world – is reported to be 'on the brink of ruin' after failing to heed warnings and reel in his ostentatious spending from those hired to manage his affairs.

Depp, whose acting career spans over three decades, has amassed a sizeable nest egg thanks to quirky roles in films such as Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands, and Sweeney Todd.

Not only did his first four outings as Jack Sparrow in Pirates Of The Carribean gross more than $3.73bn worldwide collectively, he has also enjoyed success as a producer. His production company Infinitum Nihil was behind 2011's The Rum Diary, Hugo, and 2012's Dark Shadows.

Protecting his future?

Despite his apparent wealth, on 13 January the millionaire actor – who commands a fee of $20m per film – filed a $25m against The Management Group (TMG), claiming the firm had defrauded him.

TMG countered his allegations with its own lawsuit stating that "Depp, and Depp alone, is fully responsible for any financial turmoil he finds himself in today."

The firm claimed it was also looking to foreclose on his primary homes after they bailed him out for defaulting on a $5m bank loan back in 2012. "In October 2016, with Depp still owing $4.2m, the Mandels started non-judicial foreclosure proceedings against certain Depp's properties."

Depp has since hit back that his former advisers are using a 'blame the victim' strategy to deflect from their wrongdoing.

"Mr Depp did not sue his former business managers for his own personal investment decisions or the 'financial distress' they wildly allege,' His lawyer, Adam Waldman, said in a statement. "Gaslighting the public with global press releases will not save the defendants in court from their gross misconduct set forth in the complaint."

Although the extent of his money woes is not clear, there is good chance that the lawsuit may have simply been a pre-emptive measure to protect his assets. Back in December last year, Depp topped Forbes' list of Hollywood's most overpaid actors for the second year running. According to the publication, the Alice Through the Looking Glass star returned only $2.80 at the box office for every $1 he was paid for the last three films he made before June 2016.