&gt; Pretty much every one of these deals turned into a financial disaster. The biggest of these was probably Mariah Carey, who ended up being paid $28m not to sing<p>I worked in the entertainment industry during this time.<p>Great point to remember specific to Mariah Carey was that she was originally signed by Tommy Mottola who she eventually married WHILE he was the head of the label (Columbia) &amp; Music division. This &#x27;business&#x27; decision had a very personal side. It was more than just a financial disaster.