Lance Bass says *NSYNC lived on a $35 daily allowance at its peak

Lance Bass wants fans to know that selling out arenas did not make *NSYNC rich. The singer says the group earned very little while it was one of the biggest acts in the world.

A small daily allowance

Bass opened up about the band's money during a recent visit to "The Zach Sang Show." He said the members were handed a $35 per diem and not much more while their records topped the charts.

When the first real paycheck finally arrived it came to roughly $10,000 each. He pointed out that the money came while the band was at its most famous.

The label cashed in

By his account the record company had already pulled in millions from the group by then. He suggested merchandise was a major moneymaker and hinted the members saw none of that revenue.

Bass also said he is still upset with the grown-ups who surrounded the teenage singers. Instead of protecting them they told the young men to keep quiet and do their jobs.

Doing fine now

Bass stressed that he has built a good life for himself in the years since. He said that success came despite the stigma many former boy band members carry once their group ends.

His one big regret is the breakup itself. He said he wishes *NSYNC had kept going the way the Backstreet Boys did.

The takeaway is simple. If Bass or his former bandmates are still hustling today it is because the band never left them set for life.