Lance Bass Says He Earned $35 a Day at the Height of NSYNC’s Fame

Views 1 Published by October 10, 2026

Lance Bass said on The Zach Sang Show that NSYNC paid him a $35 daily per diem and that the group's first check was $10,000, despite its chart success. He said he earned far more after the band went on hiatus in 2002.

Lance Bass says he received a per diem of $35 a day while NSYNC was one of the biggest acts in the world. Speaking on The Zach Sang Show, the 47-year-old singer said the pay did not match the group’s success.

“We had a per diem: $35 a day,” Bass said. He said the group’s first check was $10,000 “after years of No. 1 albums, sellout tours,” and that he does not know how many millions he made from merchandise, “because merchandise was insane.” He recalled being told to be grateful for the $10,000: “You should be grateful for that.”

Bass, who rose to fame alongside Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone, said the public overestimates his wealth. “People think I’m so filthy rich from NSYNC, but no,” he said. “Not at all.” He said he still receives residuals, but “it’s not much.” He said he earned far more after the band went on hiatus in 2002.

Bass alleged that most of the money went elsewhere, pointing to “the label” and the group’s late manager, Lou Pearlman. Pearlman, who was behind NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, was convicted in 2008 of money laundering, conspiracy and bankruptcy fraud in connection with a long-running Ponzi scheme. He died in prison in 2016. Asked whether he still held resentment, Bass said “not anymore,” though he maintained he had been shortchanged.

NSYNC’s commercial record is substantial. Its 2000 album No Strings Attached sold a then-record 2.4 million copies in its first week and spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The single “It’s Gonna Be Me” gave the group its only Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. Its 2001 album Celebrity also debuted at No. 1, and the No Strings Attached tour grossed more than $70 million. NSYNC reunited briefly for the single “Better Place” in 2023.

Bass has discussed the group’s finances before. During a 2023 appearance on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, he said, “We were famous, but we were not rich.”