• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & Entertainment

Former Backstreet Boys and NSYNC Manager Lou Pearlman Dies

By
Mahita Gajanan
Mahita Gajanan
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Mahita Gajanan
Mahita Gajanan
and
TIME
TIME
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 21, 2016, 1:58 PM ET
Lou Pearlman
FILE- In this June 27, 2007, file photo Lou Pearlman poses outside his office's at Church Street Station in Orlando, Fla. Pearlman, credited for starting the boy-band craze and launching the careers of the Backstreet Boys and ‘NSync, has died in prison while serving a 25-year sentence for a massive Ponzi scheme. The Orlando Sentinel reported that according to a federal inmate database, the 62-year-old Pearlman died Friday, Aug. 19, 2016. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)John Raoux AP

Lou Pearlman, known for forming and managing 1990s boy bands Backstreet Boys and NSYNC, died Friday at the age of 62.

Pearlman died in prison where he had been serving a 25 year prison sentence since 2008 after he was found guilty over defrauding investors out of $300 million in a Ponzi scheme.

Inspired by the success of New Kids on the Block, Pearlman brought the Backstreet Boys together in 1993 and *NSYNC in 1995. Both boy bands found huge success—the Backstreet Boys sold 130 million records and *NSYNC sold more than 55 million.

On Sunday, former NSYNC member Justin Timberlake wrote on Twitter, “I hope he found some peace. God bless and RIP, Lou Pearlman.”

I hope he found some peace. God bless and RIP, Lou Pearlman.

— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) August 21, 2016

Other former NSYNC colleagues weighed in. Lance Bass wrote, “He might not have been a stand up businessman, but I wouldn’t be doing what I love today [without] his influence. RIP Lou.”

https://twitter.com/LanceBass/status/767136214692474880

Chris Kirkpatrick wrote, “Mixed emotions right now, but RIP Lou Pearlman.”

Mixed emotions right now, but RIP Lou Pearlman.

— Chris Kirkpatrick (@IamCKirkpatrick) August 21, 2016

This article originally appeared at Time.com

About the Authors
By Mahita Gajanan
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By TIME
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may have shot himself in the foot at the Fed, as Powell could stay on while Miran resigns from White House post
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 4, 2026
16 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
In 2026, many employers are ditching merit-based pay bumps in favor of ‘peanut butter raises’
By Emma BurleighFebruary 2, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Tech stocks go into free fall as it dawns on traders that AI has the ability to cut revenues across the board
By Jim EdwardsFebruary 4, 2026
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Cybersecurity
Top AI leaders are begging people not to use Moltbook, a social media platform for AI agents: It’s a ‘disaster waiting to happen’
By Eva RoytburgFebruary 2, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Gates Foundation doubles down on foreign aid as U.S. government largely withdraws
By Thalia Beaty and The Associated PressFebruary 3, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Peter Thiel warns the Antichrist and apocalypse are linked to the ‘end of modernity’ currently happening—and cites Greta Thunberg as a driving example
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 4, 2026
11 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Arts & Entertainment

bunny
North AmericaSports
Why Bad Bunny is essential to the future of the NFL, even if Trump hates his halftime show
By Jared Bahir Browsh and The ConversationFebruary 4, 2026
10 hours ago
SuccessOlympics
Philippines’ first male Olympic gold medalist in history was given a fully furnished $550,000 condo to go with his medals
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 4, 2026
15 hours ago
kalshi
RetailGrocery
Kalshi gave away $50 in free groceries for 3 hours in New York City. A line 4 blocks long full of students and people on food stamps formed
By Eva RoytburgFebruary 4, 2026
15 hours ago
North AmericaMelinda French Gates
Bill Gates ‘has to answer’ for Epstein files mentions, Melinda French Gates says, weeks after record $8 billion donation in divorce settlement
By Sydney LakeFebruary 4, 2026
16 hours ago
super bowl
Arts & EntertainmentAdvertising
The ‘Kardashian Kurse’ and a Jurassic Park reunion are among the Super Bowl commercials planned for this year
By Mae Anderson and The Associated PressFebruary 4, 2026
16 hours ago
guthrie
LawCrime
Signs of forced entry found at home of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, source says
By Jacques Billeaud, Sejal Govindarao, Mike Balsamo and The Associated PressFebruary 4, 2026
17 hours ago