Howard Stern’s real estate empire is worth hundreds of millions—Palm Beach, the Hamptons, and Manhattan penthouses. But with annual carrying costs upwards of $15M (mortgage, taxes, staff, upkeep)… 10 years without fresh income could eat away hundreds of millions from his fortune.

Medical experts familiar with postoperative complications say such an event could be consistent with damage to the phrenic nerve—a nerve that controls the diaphragm and allows for automatic breathing. If severed or impaired during cervical spine surgery, it could cause respiratory paralysis.