Their Manager Almost Ruined Them
A lot of mystery surrounds the group’s struggle with their manager, Lou Pearlman. The sketchiness of their relationship was apparent as soon as they got their first taste of international success. At the time, you couldn’t find the latest gossip on the Internet, so you had to rely on the tabloids. There were a lot of rumors and speculation, but nothing was confirmed.
Lou Pearlman 1997. Source: Shutterstock
That is until Pearlman was apprehended by the authorities. As it turned out, he was running one of the largest known Ponzi schemes in history. Pearlman would siphon off the money he made through the Backstreet ventures, leaving the group with very little for themselves. He also capitalized on the initial, terrible deals that he forced them to sign. Even though he was apprehended for the Ponzi scheme, it is believed that he caused more personal harm to the band members.