In 2006, David Milch, who'd already earned $12 million from his work on Hill Street Blues and more than $60 million from NYPD Blue, finished the three-season run of Deadwood, the Emmy-winning HBO drama he co-created. A new feature from The Hollywood Reporter estimates estimates he had earned more than $100 million total in a three-decade-long television career. He owned houses in Los Angeles and Martha's Vineyard with a combined worth exceeding $13 million. He has immense respect within the industry. But since the conclusion of Deadwood in 2006 he hasn't done much in the way of TV—his next HBO series, Luck, about horse racing and starring Dustin Hoffman, was cancelled mid-season. Instead, it seems he's spent plenty of time at the racetrack, where the brilliant writer has lost all his savings and now owes the IRS $17 million.
"He's in debt to the IRS. He's doing what he can, but it's hard for him and everyone close to him," a friend of Milch's told THR. According to the story, Milch is now only allowed $40 per week in cash to ensure he doesn't gamble. His family has sold the Brentwood house for $4.8 million, and currently has the 22-acre Martha's Vineyard estate on the market for $8.95 million. And Milch's wife has been forced to sell "a significant amount" of her jewelry.
"He was crazy. He'd bet thousands and thousands of dollars. He'd bet every race," said one source. But it's especially a terrible story, given his immense talent, and the glowing way his colleagues, friends and family speak of him. As HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler told THR:
"We have always felt very lucky to have had David in our family. It is obvious to everyone that he is a preternatural talent. What might be less obvious, because he doesn't ever talk about it, is how much time and energy he spends mentoring young writers. I think it speaks volumes about him and reflects his decency and generosity, which is one of the reasons all of us at HBO love him. Over many years, I've watched him treat everyone throughout the company with enormous respect, no matter what their title. He takes time to show his appreciation to everyone. It's why he has so many fans all throughout HBO."
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