CNN || Celebs shell out big bucks for security

Celebrities are always trying to build walls around themselves, literally and figuratively, and those walls cost money.

This week, rapper 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, admitted that he spends $20,000 a week on security at his Farmington, Connecticut, mansion.

"My home is surrounded by cameras. I need surveillance not only to look out for me but also to protect me. You get all these crazy lawsuits, and I need cameras to check on things," the 33-year-old told the entertainment news service WENN.

Jackson's security costs work out to a little over $1 million a year.

Although spending more on security in two weeks than the average American's yearly income may seem excessive, Jackson's expenditures are in the lower end of what most high-profile individuals pay to protect themselves, their families and their property.

New York-based security expert and retired New York Police Detective Thomas Werther owns Sector Mike Security systems and spends his days protecting musicians, actors, actresses and sports stars. He explained the breakdown of expenses for a day of security for the average high-profile individual.

"For one day, if you need one truck with a driver and three security agents, you are looking at $4,000 a day, and use that four days a week, then you can easily see spending $20,000 a week. For a guy like 50 Cent, that seems like a modest expense, especially if you are factoring in home security," Werther explained.

Aaron Cohen, a former member of Israel's counterterrorist special forces unit and now the director of IMS Security in Hollywood, works with numerous high-profile individuals and families, including supermodel Kate Moss. Cohen says security is one of the highest single expenditures a celebrity will make in a year.