![\"Ian](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1b6f9a835adedaad5f02e11dff034ba27e-GettyImages-2244093629.rsquare.w400.jpg\")
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The story of how Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder found himself $10 million-plus in debt is a little unclear, but the good news is that he has found his way out of it again. He gives most of the credit to his wife, Nikki Reed.<\/a><\/p>\n Somerhalder said in an interview with E! News<\/a> published on Thursday, \u201cI left an insanely lucrative career in television after financial upheaval from building a business that I didn\u2019t build properly.\u201d This apparently involved making personal guarantees to a bank for a clean energy company. He explained that \u201cfraud\u201d put him and his wife in \u201can eight-figure hole,\u201d which was not easy to climb out of. He and Reed sold, \u201chouses, paintings, cars, watches, everything,\u201d he said, crediting Reed with negotiating them out of the bad deal. And to think, Somerhalder could have been \u201cretiring off of one of the biggest TV shows in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Since The Vampire Diaries, Somerhalder has been involved in several companies, such as Brothers Bond Bourbon<\/a>, which he cofounded with fellow TVD star Paul Wesley. More recently, he and Reed cofounded The Absorption Company<\/a>, a brand of nutritional supplements with \u201cproprietary game-changing technology.\u201d One can only hope that this proves to be a safer investment.<\/p>\n Stay in touch.<\/p>\n The latest in style, self, culture, and power in your inbox.<\/p>\n Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice<\/p>\n