Money

Warren Buffett is getting with the times at the ripe age of 89 -- FINALLY buying himself a nifty smartphone ... but still using it like the flip phone he's left behind.

The billionaire Berkshire Hathaway CEO was chatting with CNBC Monday, talking about Apple and how great of a company it's turned out to be ... speculating about its stock value and that sorta thing. During the convo, he dropped a bombshell ... new phone, who dis?

Yep, ol' Warren says he's caved at last and purchased himself the latest edition of Apple's iPhone, which has apparently become his go-to mobile device. RIP to his notorious $20 Samsung flip phone, which he'd been using for at least the past several years.

Warren had some pretty good things to say about his new celly -- which he affectionately seems to think is called the one and only "Smartphone." Anyway, the guy says iPhones have permeated just about everyone's lives in modern society ... and are revolutionary.

He even likens it to when the original telephone was created way back when, explaining the iPhone has had that same sorta cultural impact ... perhaps even more so.

As for how he uses his cool new gadget, Warren says he's still basic AF ... just utilizing the lone the phone call function. Nice ... never change, WB!!!

Derek Jeter's New York Yankees jersey from the legendary shortstop's FIRST Major League Baseball game just sold for $369,000 ... a record-setting sale price!!

21-year-old Jeter made his debut for the Yankees on May 29, 1995 ... when the Bronx Bombers took on the Mariners at the Kingdome in Seattle.

DJ batted 9th in the order ... and went 0-for-5 with a strikeout. The Yankees lost the game 8-7.

The NYY grey road uniform that DJ wore was recently put on the auction block at Goldin Auctions ... where a (very rich) fan paid $369k.

The uni is signed by Jeter ... and is also inscribed with "Game Used, 5-29-95 MLB Debut".

Jeter only played 14 more games in the '95 season ... and didn't have much success. He hit .250 with no home runs and 11 strikeouts.

But, EVERYTHING changed the next year -- Jeter became a superstar in 1996 ... hitting .314, batting in 78 runs and winning the A.L. Rookie of the Year.

Jeets also helped lead the Yankees to their 1st title in almost 20 years ... his 1st of 5 titles.

Here he is ... David Ayres -- the Zamboni driver was called out of the stands to play goalie for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes team on Saturday ... and he's a rockstar!!!

The story is amazing ... the 42-year-old was sitting in the stands at the Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes game in Toronto when both of the 'Canes top two goalies suffered injuries and couldn't play.

So, the 'Canes called for the emergency backup (there's one in the stands at every game who could play for either team if the situation deems necessary) ... and he strapped on the pads and got in the game!

Ayres was rusty at first, letting in 2 quick goals -- but he stepped up and blocked several shots to close out the game ... helping the 'Canes beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3.

Now, the guy is turning into a superstar in front of our very eyes ... he hit up the "Today" show on Monday morning and on the way out, was stopped by fans for pics!

Ayres told TMZ Sports ... the fan reaction has been amazing -- with a bunch of his old coaches reaching out to give him props!

We asked if he would be chasing an NHL contract now that teams now he's legit -- but Ayres told us he completely happy staying as the emergency backup in Toronto.

Guessing at the very least he'll get some minor league offers in the near future -- so stay tuned on that!

As for compensation, Ayres was reportedly paid $500 for his appearance and allowed to keep his game-worn jersey.

Dustin Diamond's pleading his case to the makers of the "Saved by the Bell" reboot, saying his character is synonymous with the show ... and he hopes his former castmates band together to make it happen.

The man who played Screech in every episode of the popular teen sitcom and its spin-offs isn't shy about letting us know that fact ... and he believes it's a major reason why he should be included in the reboot, which will star alums Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley.

It's unclear what other former cast members might make an appearance -- both Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tiffani Thiessen have yet to confirm a return -- but Diamond's pretty clear he's not one of them ... at least not yet.

Dustin -- who's made headlines the past several years for his criminal case and other unpleasant reasons -- suggests his snubbing is like that idiom about cutting off one's nose ... or something like that. Basically, he thinks it's unfair ... and the wrong move.

Screech also believes everyone involved in the OG 'SBTB' should show some solidarity and demand all the staples -- Zack Morris, Kelly Kapowski, etc. -- be brought back for the reboot ... otherwise, it's missing something.

He even has an idea of what Screech's storyline should be, and we gotta say ... it makes sense. Zoinks!

Meghan Markle's father doesn't give a royal crap about what people think of him continuing to make money off his relationship with her ... or lack thereof.

Thomas Markle tells TMZ ... a recent quote from his interview with Britain's Channel 5 -- for which he was paid -- got a bit misconstrued, but he's not backing down from the crux of what he said.

If you missed it ... Thomas said Meghan and Prince Harry "owe" him for what he's been through, and he should be "rewarded" for it. He added ... "My daughter told me when I reach my senior years, she'll take care of me. I'm in my senior years now ... so it's time to look after daddy."

Thomas tells us he didn't mean the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be sending him cash -- that's clearly not happening because they don't communicate at all -- what he meant was ... he's going to keep cashing in on his story, and his royal connection.

Markle says he plans to continue booking paid interviews and public appearances -- just like Meghan and Harry do -- but the good news for him ... he doesn't need permission from the Queen.

The gist of it, according to Thomas -- he feels he got dragged into this situation, and if he's going to be without his daughter because of it ... he needs to do whatever is necessary to look out for himself financially.

That's what he claims Meghan's doing by stepping down from senior royal duties to come to North America ... a move he called "ridiculous" in his Channel 5 interview.

Miami Dolphins star DeVante Parker is a Cardinal for LIFE ... don't believe it?? Just check out his insane new Louisville-inspired diamond chain!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 27-year-old wanted to go all out on a tribute for his alma mater, the University of Louisville, so he hit up Gabriel the Jeweler to make an iced-out pendant of his school's logo!!

We're told the piece is decked out in emerald-cut diamonds on the border, diamonds to make the Cardinal in the middle, and a pink diamond for the eye!!

In total, we're told there are 60 carats of diamonds.

Of course, Parker was an absolute beast at U of L -- he was first-team all-AAC in 2013 and second-team in 2014 ... before going on to get picked 14th overall in the 2015 draft.

FYI -- Gabriel is the go-to jeweler for some of the biggest names in the NFL -- from Odell Beckham to Jarvis Landry to Antonio Brown.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are calling bulls**t on the Queen of England, saying she has no authority to strip them of their right to say they're royals.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex posted what seems to be an angry response to the Queen's decision that they no longer can use the "Sussex Royal' brand.

They said in their post Saturday, the Queen doesn't own the word, 'Royal.'  Specifically, they said, "While there is not any jurisdiction by The Monarchy or Cabinet Office over the use of the word 'Royal' overseas, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex do not intend to use 'Sussex Royal' or any iteration of the word 'Royal' in any territory (either within the UK or otherwise) when the transition occurs Spring 2020."

So they say they won't use the word, but it's their choice, not Her Highness's.

Deontay Wilder isn't only known for his devastating knockout power ... he's also famous for his epic ring walk costumes, and the heavyweight champ tells us he dropped 40 grand on this weekend's epic outfit.

TMZ Sports talked to the 34-year-old Bronze Bomber on Thursday ... 2 days before of one of the most anticipated fights in heavyweight boxing history.

As you'd expect, Wilder says he's gonna flatten Fury ... but we also talked about what's really important -- the walk out uni.

So, what does Deontay have planned?

"Oh my goodness! It's going to be amazing man. Come Saturday night, one of the things that I made a promise to myself talking to my advisor Al [Haymon], when I got to a certain point into my career, I said, 'I wanna give the boxing fans, I wanna give the world something that they can remember me by.'"

"Not only just the knockouts, but me expressing myself before coming out and entering into the ring."

Wilder says "expressing" himself this weekend is gonna run him $40,000 ... but it's worth it 'cause the costumes are part of his legacy, and will end up making him a crapload of money in the future.

"Spending money on these costumes and stuff, whether it's [$10K to $40K], I know they're going to turn to millions. It's gonna be 10 million, 40 million, after I get finished, because of the things I've done in boxing and the way I was able to do it in."

If you're not familiar with what Deontay does ... this was his outfit for his last fight against Luis Ortiz. It sounds like he's even going bigger this time around.

The biggest names in the NFL's rookie class -- from Joe Burrow to CeeDee Lamb -- are getting ready for their big day in the most baller way possible ... by going all-out on some JEWELRY!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... LSU superstars Burrow, and Patrick Queen, Oklahoma's Lamb and Jerry Jeudy and South Carolina's Javon Kinlaw -- who are all potential first-round picks -- got their ice fix from Leo Frost in Houston ... before taking the stage at the Draft on April 23.

Here's a breakdown of the haul ...

The Heisman winner and national champ copped a #9 pendant in 18k white gold with VVS diamonds, which is worth $10k.

Even better for Burrow ... he didn't pay for the jewelry!! The bling was a gift from Baton Rouge, Louisiana born rapper Boosie -- a huge LSU fan.

Burrow's teammate, Queen, bagged a "Level Up" VS1 diamond pendant in 14k yellow and white gold, worth $45k.

Jeudy went ALL OUT with two-tone yellow and white gold 'JJ4' and 'JEW' pendants with VS diamonds on 14k yellow VS gold diamond Cuban chains, worth $100k total. On top of that, Jeudy also got an 18K yellow gold Audemars Piguet, fully flooded with VS2 diamonds!!

Kinlaw copped a Jesus piece with chocolate brown diamonds on a two-row VS diamond tennis chain, worth $45k.

Last, but def not least, Lamb went with a '32' pendant made with two-tone 14k yellow and white gold on VS diamond Cuban chains, worth $90k!

Macklemore's had something brewing with a West Coast coffee chain, and he made the surprise reveal himself ... he's taking his talents to the creative directing team!!!

The rapper's partnering up with Dutch Bros. Coffee to help develop new products and flavors with the brand ... and he made the announcement Wednesday in pretty glorious fashion at the company's annual business summit in Scottsdale, AZ.

Macklemore first appears on-screen in a prerecorded message to let employees know he's the new Executive Creative Director of Cold Brew. He says he'd love to be there with them to celebrate ... but he's got golfing to do.

It's all a fake out though ... because he rides in on a golf cart to the delight of the Dutch Bros. crew.

Though this is a new short-term contract for the rapper -- we're told it will wrap up this summer when he performs at their major company event -- Macklemore's love for their coffee goes way back.

He's a huge fan, especially of cold brew, and has been an unofficial brand ambassador for a few years. Macklemore partnered with Dutch Bros. last year for a campaign to fight ALS ... and he's even included the coffee in a couple of his music videos.

We're told the rapper -- who hails from the Pacific Northwest, where the coffee chain is prevalent -- will be in charge of a few new cold brew product launches and more upcoming promotional events.

Cheers!

A youth org. claims LeBron James straight-up jacked their "More Than An Athlete" slogan for his Uninterrupted brand ... and now they want more than $33 MIL to make things right!

Game Plan -- a Maryland based nonprofit, which guides young athletes to achieve professional success in an out of sports -- claims they've been using the slogan "I Am More Than an Athlete" since 2016 and they obtained the trademark in 2018.

The problem ... Game Plan is convinced LeBron James saw Game Plan staffers wearing "More Than An Athlete" shirts at a Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Washington Wizards game in 2017 and stole it for his Uninterrupted brand. In fact, the staffers even posed for a pic that day with Wizards star John Wall.

Game Plan says in their lawsuit ... "The attendance at the game gave Game Plan tremendous exposure, as it was able to gain attention from John Wall in front of his peers including the (arguably) most famous athlete in the world, as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, at the time, LeBron James."

In court docs filed by Game Plan, they claim Bron loved the phrase so much, he began using it in 2018 as a response to the infamous Laura Ingraham "Shut Up and Dribble" incident.

After the Fox News host made the comment on air, James went to social media and posted a picture of a neon light sign that read, "I Am More Than an Athlete."

Since then, Game Plan says LeBron and Uninterrupted have monetized the hell out of the slogan -- striking deals to use "I Am More Than An Athlete" with Nike, ESPN and the NBA2K video game.

Game Plan says they own the rightful trademark and are entitled to all profits that have been made from it -- seeking no less than $33 MILLION.

They're suing Uninterrupted, Nike, Disney and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.

So far, no comment from LeBron's camp.

Ninja -- the most famous pro gamer in the world -- is sick and tired of people treating his sport like it's a joke ... and he's invoking the names of LeBron and Tom Brady to make his point.

The 28-year-old Fortnite legend went on a passionate rant while streaming on Wednesday -- saying he's fed up with people telling him to tone down his competitiveness with comments like, "It's just a video game."

Ninja HATES that phrase -- explaining how EVERY top competitor in any field should HATE to lose no matter what sport they're in.

In his words ... "If anyone ever uses the excuse 'It's just a game' I'm gonna lose my mind."

"Imagine telling LeBron James, Tom Brady that when they're pissed off after losing a game that it's just a game. Like I'm gonna lose it. Are you kidding me?! You're so stupid!!!"

"It’s the competitive nature, bro. It’s about respect, bro. It’s about pride. It’s so much bigger than a f**king video game. Anybody that ever uses the excuse 'It’s just a game' is a horrible human being and is lazy. You’re a lazy human being."

Earlier in the week, Ninja had tweeted about his mindset -- saying, "The phrase 'it’s just a game' is such a weak mindset. You are ok with what happened, losing, imperfection of a craft. When you stop getting angry after losing, you’ve lost twice."

"There’s always something to learn, and always room for improvement, never settle."

People went after him HARD on social media -- but Ninja ain't backing down ... which is why he went on the rant during his stream on Wednesday.

Also, with Fortnite Season 2 about to drop this week, he's clearly getting his mind right to destroy everyone.

Jeff Bezos pouring tons of money toward fighting climate change is all fine and good in AOC's eyes -- but he's still got a hot mess on his hands when it comes to his own company.

We got the freshman congresswoman Wednesday in NYC and asked her about Bezos' big announcement this week -- that he's dumping $10 billion of his own fortune toward a new fund to pay for scientists, activists and NGOs working to manage the climate.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez says it's a nice gesture, but in reality ... the guy's company, Amazon, leaves a major carbon footprint -- which he needs to address first and foremost before becoming a champion of the cause. There's other issues too, BTW.

AOC points out Bezos' Amazon workers have complained about wages for a long time, so she thinks he needs to get his house in order here domestically before taking on the world.

Interesting insight from the Congresswoman -- she's been very outspoken about climate change and is trying to push through the Green New Deal. Doesn't sound like she believes Bezos is on the front lines of this fight -- regardless of his funding powers.

Oh, and check out the insane number of posters and pics she signs here for a bunch of fans (and constituents?). AOC even gives a little girl an exclusive interview on the spot.

Awesome.

'Sonic the Hedgehog' took a cue from the fan base -- and rightly so, because the movie's rolling in the dough as a result ... so says one of the film's stars.

Actress Tika Sumpter was leaving Craig's in WeHo Tuesday night, and she weighed in on the massive box office haul her new flick pulled in over the weekend -- upwards of $70 million here at home, and projected to make a lot more than its estimated $85 mil budget.

According to her, the secret formula for success here was the fact Paramount Studios listened to the feedback from potential viewers on social media earlier last year ... when everyone ripped Sonic's original look, and his eery human-like teeth that nobody seemed to like.

Tika says the proof is in the pudding in terms of Paramount's reward for taking note -- and it sounds like she thinks other studios may follow suit with future projects.

Funny enough, Tika invokes another animated classic with teeth issues of its own. She says we've advanced beyond the one-block denture depiction, but aren't quite ready to see cavities, it seems.

It was apparently "Trademark Day" on Valentine's Day for 2 big stars in Hollywood ... 'cause Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber put love aside and got down to business.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kylie filed to trademark "Kylie Body" and "Kylie Body by Kylie Jenner" and the hope's to slap those names on tons of products including hair and beauty products, creams and perfumes.

This, of course, is nothing new with Kylie. She's filed docs to register trademarks for just about everything under the sun ... including her famous wake-up call "Rise and Shine." Her expanding empire also includes "Kylie Baby" and "Kylie Hair."

As for Hailey ... docs show she's looking to register the trademark "HB Beauty by Hailey Bieber." Seems she's ripping a page out of Kylie's playbook cause she wants to slap those names on beauty and wellness products.

She's no stranger to the trademark game. She filed docs back in October 2018 to lock down her own name, Hailey Bieber, which she wants to use on a possible clothing project.

Justin and Hailey Bieber's potential starter home is one that's still under construction -- but we're hearing they're eyeing it pretty hard, and could spend a fortune to get it.

Sources tell TMZ ... Mr. and Mrs. Bieber have been looking at this monster of a home in Brentwood, which is currently owned by the CEO of Playboy Enterprises. The guy bought the place when it was a vacant lot in 2014, spending around $9 million just for the land.

Now, he's got a nearly completed property sitting atop all that dirt. It's a 7,500-square-foot modern Mediterranean mansion -- and as you can see, it's fit for a king and queen.

Enter the Biebers, whom we're told are seriously considering buying it and completing the work being done right now -- which, for now, is still being funded by the Playboy peeps. Our sources say Justin and Hailey might wanna pick up the baton and make it their own.

As for how much they could possibly spend ... we're told the pad could end up having a final price tag in the range of $18 to $20 million. Not to mention what it would cost finishing all the building that needs to be done.

In any case, it looks like it'd be a great first house they'd own together as a married couple. We know they've been looking around L.A. for the past couple years, but haven't pulled the trigger on anything quite yet. To this date, it appears they've mostly been renting.

Welcome home?