Louis Jay "Lou" Pearlman (born June 19, 1954) is a former impresario of the successful 1990s boy bands such as The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. In 2006, it was discovered that Pearlman had perpetrated one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history, leaving more than $300 million in debts. After getting caught on the run, and pleading guilty to conspiracy, money laundering and making false statements during a bankruptcy proceeding, in 2008 Pearlman was convicted and sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.

Lou Pearlman was born and raised in Flushing, Queens, the only child of Jewish parents Hy Pearlman, who ran a dry cleaning business, and Reenie Pearlman, a school lunchroom aide. Pearlman is the first cousin of Art Garfunkel. His home at Mitchell Gardens Apartments was located across from Flushing Airport, where he and childhood friend Alan Gross would watch blimps take off and land. According to Pearlman's autobiography, Bands, Brands, & Billions, it was during this period he used his position on his school newspaper to earn credentials and get his first ride in a blimp. (This version of events is disputed by Gross, who claims he was the school reporter, and allowed Pearlman to tag along.)

Aaron Charles Carter (born December 7, 1987) is an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early-first decade of the 21st century.

Carter was born at the Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida, where his parents, Jane Elizabeth (née Spaulding) and Robert Gene Carter, ran the Garden Villa Retirement Home. The family was originally from upstate New York, where his brother Nick, of the boy band Backstreet Boys, was born. Aside from his older brother Nick, he also has three sisters: twin sister Angel (a model), B.J. and Leslie (1986–2012). Carter is named after his maternal grandfather, Douglas "Charles" Spaulding, and paternal grandfather, Aaron Charles Carter. Carter attended the Frank D. Miles Elementary School and the Ruskin School in Florida. Carter has said that the mood in his home was often tense because of his parents' divorce. His parents would often argue about his money and Carter would often be in the middle of the fight, trying to stop it. Carter later felt that he was pushed into show business when he was too young.

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop and rock artists.

Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, actor, and businessman. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez. Timberlake became famous in the late 1990s as the lead singer and youngest member of the boy band 'N Sync, whose launch was financed by Lou Pearlman.

In 2002, he released his debut solo album, Justified, which sold more than seven million copies worldwide. The album was a commercial success, spawning the hits "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body". Timberlake continued his success with his second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and produced the US number-one hit singles "SexyBack", "My Love", and "What Goes Around... Comes Around".

Timberlake has won six Grammy Awards and four Emmy Awards. His first two albums made him one of the most commercially successful singers in the world, each selling in excess of 7 million copies. He also has an acting career, having starred in films such as The Social Network, Bad Teacher and Friends with Benefits. His other ventures include record label Tennman Records, fashion label William Rast, and the restaurants Destino and Southern Hospitality.

Joshua Scott "JC" Chasez (born August 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, entertainer, record producer, and occasional actor, best known as one of the lead vocalists in the former pop group 'N Sync. In 2004, Chasez released a solo album, Schizophrenic, and has gone on to write and produce for music acts such as Girls Aloud, Basement Jaxx, David Archuleta, Matthew Morrison, and the Backstreet Boys. He is currently a judge for America's Best Dance Crew.

Chasez was born in Washington, D.C. At age five he was adopted by Roy and Karen Chasez. His biological mother entrusted her son's care to her former foster parents Roy and Karen, hoping that they would be able to provide him with an education and a stable family life. Chasez has said that he does not know who his biological father is, and has no plans to search for him.

After being adopted, Chasez was raised in Bowie, Maryland as a Mennonite. He has a younger brother named Tyler and a younger sister named Heather. Chasez attended the former Belair Junior High School and then Bowie High School.