Celebrities and athletes are missing out on unclaimed funds in New York

NEW YORK (WRGB) — Not long ago we did a You Paid For It report on local governments that weren’t cashing in on unclaimed funds they had waiting for them at the NYS Comptroller’s office.

MORE: NY Comptroller is looking to reunite unclaimed funds with New Yorkers

The Comptroller holds funds that banks and businesses have for people they can’t track down.

While doing that story, we learned that there are plenty of famous people – actors, singers and ballplayers who are all owed money.

The singers on the list include Bob Dylan, Lenny Kravitz, Lionel Richie and John Mellencamp. Among the famous actors owed money – Kate Winslet, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro and George Clooney. Current and former New York Yankees like Giancarlo Stanton. Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada are on the list. So too is former Syracuse University head basketball coach Jim Boeheim.

Crisis communications strategist and TikTok pop culture guru Molly McPherson says it goes to show that celebrities are just like the rest of us and can lose track of things.

She also says this is a public relations gold mine for the NYS Comptroller’s Office, which can do social media posts encouraging the celebs and others to pick up their unclaimed money.

The Comptroller right now is holding $19 billion in unclaimed funds.