It seems that even the most successful among us are not exempt from the recession. NPR reported this morning that famed portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz is drowning in debt.

Leibovitz is being sued by a New York company that loaned her $24 million dollars. And how, you might ask, is a photographer with an ongoing contract with Vanity Fair, and who has shot some of the most famous celebrity portraits in history, so broke?

Basically, it was some bad, and unlucky real estate decisions. Not so different from all the middle class Americans that are losing their homes... only she has multiple town houses.

As collateral for this $24 million loan, she not only put up this real estate, but the rights to her photos as well.

The loan is due on September 8. If she cannot find $24 million before then, the courts may force Annie to say "Hello Goodbye" to John Lennon all over again.

( photo by Roger Scoble from Wikimedia Commons)