Lou Pearlman, former record producer and manager of the wildly successful Backstreet Boys and ‘NSync died Friday due to heart issues. Pearlman died in a Miami hospital just before going into heart surgery, TMZ reports.
The former Backstreet Boys and ‘NSync representative was serving a 25-year sentence for a Ponzi scheme in which he scammed 1,700 people for $500 million. It is one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in U.S. history to date.
The Backstreet Boys recently reunited to perform during the 2016 Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada in June. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Pearlman took advantage of the “boy band” phenomenon at the perfect time, but then took advantage of the boy bands he represented, landing himself in prison.
I hope he found some peace. God bless and RIP, Lou Pearlman.
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) August 21, 2016
‘N Sync performs during the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on August 25, 2013. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for MTV)
Lance Bass of ‘NSync tweeted that “He might not have been a stand up businessman, but I wouldn’t be doing what I love today without his influence.”
Perlman had a long history of heart issues.