Money

Blockbuster director Zack Snyder has an idea for Hollywood to avoid another film getting hacked -- like the new 'Pirates of the Caribbean' flick -- but it's gonna require embracing LOW tech.

We got Zack -- who's currently working on "Justice League" -- at LAX Tuesday right after hackers said they'd release 'Pirates 5' on the Internet if Disney didn't pay an enormous ransom ... in Bitcoin, no less.

The night Jimi Hendrix famously lit up his guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival, Hendrix had another one that survived the show, and it's about to be up for grabs ... if you're a serious baller.

A private collector from the UK is finally unloading Jimi's Black Pepper Fender Stratocaster from that iconic 1967 concert -- perfect timing, with this being the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love.

Heritage Auctions is handling the bidding, which starts June 17 in Beverly Hills at $500k. Organizers estimate the final bid could reach $750k!

Makes sense -- Jimi used it to play "Hey Joe," "The Wind Cries Mary" and several other classics during the festival ... before trading it out for the one he burned and smashed on stage.

We're told it still has his southpaw stringing, scratches from his belt, and bonus ... Pepper still shreds.

Cleveland Browns WR Josh Gordon is reportedly in dire financial straights and desperately hunting for a new agent who will float him some cash until he gets reinstated ... if that ever happens.

The insanely talented wideout hasn't played a snap in the NFL since 2014 -- and even then his season was cut short due to a substance abuse policy violation.

He was hoping to get reinstated last week -- but the NFL rejected his application and he won't get to apply again until September.

Meantime, he's running low on that NFL dough, so says Bleacher Report's Jason Cole who described Gordon's money issues as a "desperate financial situation."

Cole also notes that Gordon was fired by his agent, Joby Branion, and is hoping to sign with a new agent (one with a bankroll) in the hopes of getting a cash advance.

Shocking, considering Gordon is believed to have made $4.2 million since being signed by the Browns in 2012.

Kylie Jenner is living life on the edge in Beverly Hills just for a little while ... but for a lot of cash.

Sources close to Kylie tell TMZ she's renting a mansion in Bev Hills while she gets work done on her $12 mil Hidden Hills home. The new pad rents for $125k/month ... and is currently on the market for $35 million.

The price tag is certainly justified -- the place oozes luxury -- sitting on a cliff, gorgeous views with 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms thrown in for good measure. Not to mention the pro chef's kitchen, big screen theater ... and a library with a bar!

The Agency repped both sides of the deal ... and James Harris from The Agency who also appears on "Million Dollar Listing" repped Kylie.

Eddie Lacy's off-season diet plan is already paying off HUGE -- the NFL star just cashed a $55k bonus check from the Seattle Seahawks for hitting a major weight loss milestone.

EL's weight issues are no secret -- and when he signed his new deal with Seattle, the team tied $385k to specific weight loss targets ... since he reportedly blew up to 267 during the off-season.

The first checkpoint was $55k if Eddie hit 255 by May 15. The good news -- he's 253.

Cha-ching.

The next goal is 250 lbs by June which he must maintain through August. Then he must stay at 245 through the season. Basically, he gets $55k for each month he hits the target weight.

Eddie's tried P90X in the past -- and the program famously slimmed him down into the low 240s.

The big issue for Lacy ... dude loves Chinese food -- LOVES IT.

We did some Yelping -- looks like there's a handful of Chinese joints right near the Hawks practice facility.

Drake did the impossible ... by escorting his little cousin and her date into prom, he actually made it cool to have a chaperone. Just this once.

Drizzy did his cuz, Jalaah Moore, a major solid by showing up this weekend in Memphis. And as you'd expect ... he spoiled the couple and made 'em total ballers. Sources close to the family tell TMZ Drake flew in Saturday ... ordered them a white Rolls Royce to drive them to prom, and also paid for their custom matching outfits.

Drake also crashed the dance at Fairley High School -- major social points for Jalaah -- but we're told he didn't perform ... just hung out. We imagine the other chaperones were as starstruck as the kids.

Afterward, he threw Jalaah a party at Hard Rock for about 400 of her suddenly super-close friends.

BTW, Drake's dad is Jalaah's grandma's bro. So, yeah ... best 2nd cousins ever!

Katy Perry is in line to fill the first judge's chair on the new "American Idol" and negotiations have already begun ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the talks tell us Katy is very interested, and is open to scheduling potential tour dates around the show's taping schedule. We're told ABC is fully on board as well and the only snag at this point is, of course, money.

As we first reported ... negotiations with Kelly Clarkson stalled due to her salary demands, and she decided to bail and coach on "The Voice" instead.

That left 'Idol' behind the 8 ball to land a big name ... and Katy fits that bill ... and then some.

If you only got your mom flowers for Mother's Day prepare to feel like a total failure of a kid ... 'cause NFL star Julio Jones just told TMZ Sports the best present he got his mom, and it doesn't need a vase.

We got Jones out at Lure and asked him what the first thing he bought when he got into the NFL was ... and DUH, it was something for his mom.

Just what was it? You gotta watch the clip and see ... but don't be surprised if you feel like heading out to the mall after.

Captain Lee Rosbach is claiming sweet victory in bankruptcy court, but it's not enough to fix his credit score just yet.

A judge just threw out his bankruptcy case on a technicality. We'll spare you the legalese, but bottom line is the feds are siding with the "Below Deck" cappy because they believe the case was filed behind Lee's back.

As we reported, Rosbach claimed he was the victim of bankruptcy fraud. He told us whoever filed the case used a phony signature and social security number, and now the feds are buying that.

It's not entirely over ... the judge kept part of the case open while feds investigate the 2 men they suspect tried to screw over Rosbach. Once that's closed, the bankruptcy blemish will be wiped from cap's record ... according to his attorney.

A championship level boxer -- signed with Mayweather Promotions -- says he's so broke, he's driving Uber to make ends meet.

The fighter is Thomas Dulorme -- whose last fight in January was on Showtime Extreme. Before that, he had fought Terrance Crawford ... one of the top fighters in the world.

So, you can imagine how crazy it was when a boxing fan ordered up an Uber in Vegas back in April and recognized Dulorme in the driver's seat.

Dulorme explained that he was part of Floyd's famous TMT (The Money Team), but says, "I'm part of the team. Not the money."

TMZ Sports spoke with the 27-year-old who says he's explored breaking his deal with TMT -- but he believes it would cost him too much money ... money he doesn't have in the first place.

We reached out to Mayweather Promotions for their side of the story but haven't heard back.

Clearly, there are issues here.

By the way, the passenger in the video tells TMZ Sports he gave Dulorme a good rating on Uber.

Steven Tyler is serious about putting the band together again -- not Aerosmith, but his fellow judges J Lo and Randy Jackson ... for the "American Idol" reboot.

Thing is though ... Steven's got a lot of demands. He was at LAX Friday when he sent a message to 'AI' producers about how to take down "The Voice."

Steven believes he knows the winning formula, but something doesn't add up. We talked salary with him, and he's got a number in mind. Hint: he's looking at you, Jennifer!

Christopher 'Big Black' Boykin's daughter will have NO money worries because her father did everything in life with her in mind ... including saving like crazy for her.

Sources close to Chris tell TMZ ... he set up a college fund for 9-year-old, Isis, and her education is pretty much covered. We're told he was solely focused on being a great dad, and it forced him to be very smart with money and investments.

Friends think that also made him a pretty hilarious penny-pincher, who rarely picked up big tabs or splurged on luxury items for himself. We're told Chris' inner circle wants to make sure Isis' college fund is managed properly, so his dreams for her will be fulfilled.

As we reported, Chris knew his family history of heart problems ... another reason he was determined to leave Isis enough to live comfortably.

Ryan Gosling and Elvis Presley's famous rides are about to be up for grabs -- meaning this is probably your one and only shot to plant your ass where theirs were ... if ya got the dough.

Auction houses Dan Kruse Classics and Flat 12 Gallery are unloading a hangar full of cars and motorcycles used in movies like Elvis' "Tickle Me," Ryan's "Drive" and Nic Cage's "Ghost Rider." They also have vehicles from shows like "Sons of Anarchy," "Entourage" and "Mad Men."

According to our auction sources the '65 Jeep Tuxedo Edition Elvis drove is expected to go for $30k to $40k. Bids on the '73 Chevelle from "Drive" should hit $20k to $30k ... and at least $15k for Cage's 1999 Buell motorbike.

All told, they're looking for the total auction haul to top $145k.

Now that Aaron Hernandez is no longer a convicted murderer, Robert Kraft WILL fork over a check for the $6 million he reportedly owes the ex-NFL star ... so says Willie McGinest.

As we previously reported, Aaron's legal team has been in contact with NFL agents to determine if the New England Patriots will have to pay out the remainder of his deal due to the abatement of his murder conviction.

McGinest -- who played 12 seasons with the Patriots -- says he believes Kraft will ultimately oblige and pay what he owes ... for 2 reasons.

The first reason -- McGinest says Kraft "has a heart" and will want to make sure Aaron's daughter is taken care of.

The second reason -- McGinest says if the law requires him to pay, he's not the kind of guy who will try to duck his obligation.

Kelly Clarkson just turned things around quicker than 'The Voice' coach chairs -- instead of judging on the new "American Idol" ... she's joining NBC's hit singing competition.

Kelly made the announcement by video chatting with Blake Shelton on his Facebook page. The superstar singers joked they'd been trying to put the deal together for years, but Kelly kept getting pregnant. She's already been a mentor on the show multiple times.

The timing doesn't seem like a coincidence -- TMZ broke the story, 'Idol' producers wanted Clarkson to be a judge when the show returns on ABC in March 2018. Our sources say negotiations were underway, but the sides couldn't agree on money.

We're told Kelly's ask was just beyond their budget. Instead, she's now landed at "The Voice" for season 14 ... which, by the way, will be running at the same time Idol returns.

Remember, astronomical salaries for judges are mainly what ended the show's run on FOX. As a result, we're told ABC's mindful of overspending.

Another 'Idol' alum, Jennifer Hudson, signed on this week for 'Voice' season 13.

Katherine Jackson pays tens of thousands of dollars each month to cover her kids' expenses, so she shouldn't have a problem paying her nephew Trent's legal fees ... according to him.

Trent Jackson wants Katherine to cover the expenses he incurred while defending himself against her claims of elder abuse. In new legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- he says Katherine told him she receives a $67,000 monthly stipend from Michael Jackson's estate, which she doles out to some of her kids to support them and their families.

In the docs, Trent says Katherine told him she gave $12,000/month to Jermaine Jackson ... $7,000/mo. to Rebbie Jackson ... $30,000/mo. to La Toya Jackson ... and $9,850/mo. toward a rental in Calabasas where Jermaine and Randy Jackson's kids stay.

That adds up to $58,850 ... almost all of her stipend.