Money

MacKenzie Scott truly is putting her money where her mouth is -- she just announced she's donated nearly 2 BILLION BUCKS to a slew of charities.

MacKenzie, who restored her maiden name after divorcing Jeff Bezos, said Tuesday, "Like many, I watched the first half of 2020 with a mixture of heartbreak and horror." Referring to her enormous wealth, she acknowledged the privilege and opportunities she had and said she wanted to help organizations that level the playing field for all.

As she put it, "Many will choose to share some of what they have with people whose equal participation is essential to the construction of a better world."

Here's the breakdown of her jaw-dropping gift:

-$586.7 million to racial equity
-$46 million to LGBTQ+ equity
-$133 million to gender equity
-$399.5 million to economic mobility
-$55 million to empathy and bridging divides
-$72 million to functional democracy
-$128.3 million to public health
-$130 million to global development
-$125 million to climate change

MacKenzie -- who last year pledged to give away the majority of her wealth -- wanted to make it crystal clear ... she didn't just blindly shove money to non-profit organizations. She said, "On this list, 91% of the racial equity organizations are run by leaders of color, 100% of the LGBTQ+ equity organizations are run by LGBTQ+ leaders, and 83% of the gender equity organizations are run by women."

As you'd expect, she's getting big props for her donation, although that's not always a given ... as her ex-husband knows. Remember, even though Jeff's thrown his support firmly behind the Black Lives Matter movement, that hasn't stopped others from targeting him ... like when his D.C. home was targeted by angry protesters with a guillotine.

The more bizarre, the better, apparently -- a fashion collab between KFC and Crocs is a rousing success ... KFC says its fried chicken-scented shoes are already sold out!!!

Someone had the bright idea to pair the famous foam clog company with the fried chicken icon to make limited-edition kicks -- and they flew off (virtual) shelves Tuesday, selling out in less than 90 minutes.

The bucket clogs went for $60 a pair, with $3 from each sale going toward the KFC Foundation's employee scholarship fund. The Crocs look like a bucket of the Colonel's original and -- most shockingly -- have a chicken-scented Jibbitz charm shaped like a drumstick.

KFC says the bad news is the Crocs are sold out, the good news is real buckets of chicken are still available. We guess you could rub some secret recipe on your regular crocs. You'd fool your dog or cat, but that's about it.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are looking to make a quick milli off their Malibu "fixer-upper" ... listing the beach house for a cool $7.99 million.

The power couple bought the pad in 2019 from Jeremy Piven for $6.6 million -- but Lopez famously described the home as a "fixer-upper next to the water."

So, she enlisted Joanna Gaines (star of HGTV's "Fixer Upper") to help with the redesign on the 3-level home -- and she doesn't come cheap!

But now, J-Rod is apparently ready to move on from the 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath home ... and their loss will definitely be someone else's gain!

The place is pretty sick -- 4,400 square feet of real estate located right on the Pacific Ocean, listed by Carl Gambino of Compass.

Incredible unobstructed views, outdoor deck, sauna, giant closets -- basically everything you could imagine in an $8 million beach home!

The place was originally built in 1949 on a beach reportedly known as "Jane Seymour Beach" ... because the actress lives in the area.

No word on why the couple is selling -- but they've got real estate all over the country ... including a $28 million mansion in Bel-Air, a $10 million mansion in the Hamptons and a compound in Coral Gables, Florida.

In other words, they've got plenty of places to crash!

If Demi Lovato's engagement ring looked expensive, that's only because it's worth more than $2 million, and comes with some razzle-dazzle too ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with knowledge tell us ... Demi's ring would cost the average Joe off the street anywhere between $2.5 million and $5 million -- and that's due to the fact that it's a very special cut from a very well-regarded celebrity jeweler in Hollywood ... Peter Marco.

We're told Demi's diamond is an emerald cut that was hand set in platinum, and flanked on all sides by smaller (only relatively) trapezoid-shaped diamonds designs. All told, our sources say the rock comes in at well over 10 carats ... maybe even as much 20!!! No one's spilling the exact weight.

We're told Demi's fiance, Max Ehrich, spent a lot of time to make sure the design was unique -- namely, he really wanted the elongated stone for Demi. We're told he and Marco went back and forth with different side stones and angles until the ring was just right.

Their engagement came after just a few months of dating ... albeit quarantine-dating. Demi and Max first got together in March, and they've been quarantining/vacationing all over Cali since then.

After Max put a ring on it ... Demi said, "I knew I loved you the moment I met you," adding, "I’m ecstatic to start a family and life with you. I love you forever my baby. My partner. Here’s to our future!!!!"

Bella Thorne is coming in hot -- she's got a hot-pink house she's trying to unload and it's truly a sight to behold.

The actress just listed this 5-bedroom home in Sherman Oaks for a cool $2.55 million ... and the 4,500-square-foot home is awash in a sea of rainbow colors, rooms full of red roses and some over-the-top murals.

The gated property stands out with its hot-pink exterior and you're gonna have to trust us here -- but the interior is just as loud! It's got a rainbow staircase, a colorful mural running the length of a two-story wall, and some golden wallpaper ... just for good measure.

Bella's former master bedroom -- or is it a primary bedroom -- features a huge walk-in closet and a marble bathroom covered in ivy.

Another room is called the rose room, which you guessed it, is a hot-pink room covered in roses with a pink chair ... that dangles from the ceiling. For real.

Bella's backyard is pretty tame compared to the rest of the house ... there's a lush lawn surrounding the swimming pool and spa, with a built-in grill decking out the rest of the patio.

Ja Morant from wayyyy downtown ... JUST HOOKED HIS MOM UP WITH A DOPE NEW CAR!!!

The NBA star is currently stuck in the NBA Bubble in Orlando -- but wouldn't let the distance stop him from sending a sweet, expensive gift to his mother on Monday!

Check out the footage ... Ja had a brand new white Audi A8 L delivered to his mom Jamie (who presumably still lives in South Carolina where he grew up) ... and her reaction is AWESOME!

Don't worry, one of the people had Ja on FaceTime so he could witness the whole thing live!

"Got you dat car you wanted," Ja later posted on IG ... "I love you my queen."

Remember, the 20-year-old Memphis Grizzlies star hooked up his DAD with a fancy new ride before he left for the bubble earlier this month.

Soooo ... best son ever!?!

Of course, it helps that Morant -- the #2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft -- signed a 2-year, $17.8 million rookie contract!

Plus, he's been beastin' on the court -- averaging 17.6 pointer per game and 6.9 assists -- potentially ROY.

Drew Brees and his wife, Brittany, are making another HUGE donation to help Louisiana during the COVID-19 pandemic -- donating $5 MILLION to build healthcare facilities throughout the state.

Remember, the New Orleans Saints superstar's family pledged $5 million to help feed the youth and elderly back in March ... and told TMZ Sports at the time, "We're gonna find a way to get through this together and take care of one another."

Now, the Brees fam is focusing on healthcare ... announcing the contribution Monday on Instagram.

"COVID19 has changed nearly everything," Brees says. "From the way that we work, to how our kids learn, to the way we play football."

"As we work through one of the greatest challenges of our lifetimes, our health and wellness has never been more important."

"The Brees Dreams Foundation is proud to commit $5 million to support healthcare in Louisiana."

Brees says his foundation will work with Ochsner Health to bring health facilities to under-served cities throughout the state.

"These health centers will offer primary and specialty care to communities who need it most and promote health equity for all."

Brittany added ... "Our family is honored to help break down the barriers and give back to the incredible people of Louisiana."

Michael Jordan's super-rare, game-worn, signed Bulls jersey from his rookie year in Chicago just hit the auction block ... and you guessed it, His Airness' uni top could bring in $500k!!

MJ -- who was drafted 3rd behind Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie😬 -- rocked the red mesh size 42 Rawlings jersey multiple times during the 1984-1985 campaign ... where he averaged 28.2 points per game, led Chi-town to the playoffs, and won Rookie of the Year.

The jersey just hit Goldin Auctions block ... and they tell TMZ Sports they believe it could rake in up to $500,000.

Of course, the value of MJ items has exploded following the success of ESPN's "Last Dance" docu-series.

Everything from Jordan's personal checks, to baseballs he signed as a youth ballplayer have been selling for exorbitant prices.

Michael's rookie jersey won't be any different ... bidding starts now.

Good luck!

Any Jimi Hendrix collectible is significant, but this rare electric guitar oozes with so much history ... it's no wonder it'll fetch a HUGE sum of money when it goes up for auction.

The folks over at Kruse GWS Auctions are in possession of Buster's early 1960s Japanese Sunburst electric guitar that's expected to snag at LEAST a cool $50,000. That's the minimum bid but GWS expects to fetch a historic amount ... and here's why they just might.

Legend has it the guitar god used this exact axe shortly after he returned home from the U.S. Army in 1962 and moving to Clarksville, Tennessee. While he was there, Jimi played the Chitlin' Circuit with some incredible talent -- like Sam Cooke and Ike and Tina Turner.

Jimi's brother, Leon Hendrix, has said "that was the last time that Jimi sounded happy." Leon recalls, "I remember Jimi calling me from New York saying he so broke he can't even pay attention. He pawned his guitar and his friends got him one."

When Jimi moved to London in 1966, he left this guitar in NYC at the apartment of one of his best friends. Cut to 54 years later and the winner of this bid will also get a letter of provenance from Leon, who will also have a private lunch with the winning bidder.

BTW ... there will be TONS of other cool items up for auction, like Prince's custom purple boots, Elvis Presley's owned and worn Neo-style sunglasses, Tom Hanks "Cast Away" costumes -- and perhaps the greatest ... Muhammad Ali's custom white terrycloth "World Champion" robe!!!

Kanye West's last-ditch effort to make the presidential ballot in his home state worked ... but it cost him a nice chunk of change.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kanye's campaign team hired a third-party vendor called Let The Voters Decide to collect the 2,500 signatures to make the ballot in Illinois.

Thing is ... Kanye did it with only a little more than a day to spare ... before the 5 PM Monday deadline.

We're told the group got to work right away, deploying 45 people who hit the streets in various parts of the state and racked up enough signatures ... all in 24 hours.

Our sources say they were paid handsomely for their efforts ... Kanye dished out $10-12 per signature, and they produced 3,178 signatures. Do the math -- well over $30k.

One of the signature collectors, Kenny Mister, tells us he got hit up Sunday to petition for Kanye. He says he was in Detroit, but dropped everything to get to Springfield, IL by Monday, worked for 3 hours ... and got 56 signatures at 10 bucks a pop.

Kenny says he went door to door, asking folks if they'd support Kanye getting on the ballot, but adding it didn't mean they had to vote for him.

BTW, if you're wondering if $10 per signature is a lot ... it is. Rickey Hendon -- a former Illinois State Senator who now works as a campaign consultant -- tells us the standard rate is closer to $1-3 per signature.

Rickey also says Kanye's team reached out to him a couple days before Let the Voters Decide ... but he declined.

It all might be a moot point ... Kanye missed the deadline to file in other states, and he seems like he's focused on other matters at the moment anyway ... many other matters.

Disney princesses are returning to work in the middle of the pandemic ... but they're not going back to Disneyland ... they're hitting the road to do social distancing gigs for kids.

Here's how the folks who dress up as children's favorite Disney characters are earning a living these days ... performing from 6-feet away, and traveling with a social distancing enforcer!!!

Check out this video of a mermaid-themed birthday party in Tustin, CA for 6-year-old Summer ... the family hired Ariel, and she's singing from behind a velvet rope and hitting the notes from under a mask.

The 'Little Mermaid' was booked through a party company that we're told is charging an additional $50 for a "distance friendly" staff member to tag along. Ariel, by the way, charges $135.

Ariel's coronavirus bodyguard makes sure everyone at the party socially distances from the mermaid, enforcing distancing during everything from song and dance to photo ops.

As we reported ... Disney princesses and characters were hit hard at the start of the outbreak, but now it looks like they've figured it out and adjusted to the new normal. Oh, and the "distance friendly" staffer is a textbook definition of job creation!!!

This tale has a happy ending ... we're told the kids loved Ariel even though it wasn't a typical party folks are used to.

Take that, Rush Limbaugh, young folks really can adapt to the coronavirus!!!

A dude from Michigan figured a prosthetic face mask making him look super old would allow him to steal a fortune at several casinos, with the help of some fake driver's licenses and other personal info from elderly victims.

John Colletti, who is 55, needed to look a lot older, and the prosthetic face mask did the trick, but for safe measure, he wore hats, glasses and even surgical masks. He went to the MGM Grand Casinos last year in Michigan and Kansas and withdrew a fortune at the self-service kiosks ... this according to the federal complaint.

The feds say at least 10 people were victimized and Colletti stole more than $100,000.

The FBI cracked the case with the help of a search warrant, and they found a lot, including 4 prosthetic face masks, flash drives, counterfeit money and books on how to commit a crime without getting caught.

Kanye West is not letting his bipolar episode and fierce family feud mess with his bottom line -- it's still business as usual as far as Ye is concerned.

Sources close to Kanye tell TMZ ... this drama-filled week has not had a negative impact on his massive deals with Adidas and GAP. We're told through all of his tribulations -- Twitter rants, family wars and the off-the-rails campaign rally -- Ye's still been able to balance several projects at once because the guy is passionate about his businesses.

Kanye's not doing it alone either ... we're told he has a big team helping to keep the trains running -- and GAP and Adidas trust they'll continue operations on schedule.

Our sources say Kanye's hired Mowalola Ogunlesi as his lead designer for his YZY GAP project and this week hasn't stunted anything she's been working on ... and GAP knows that.

Now, it's true Kanye did not drop his new album, "Donda," Friday, as initially planned -- however we still saw him directing a music video that day for the project. And, let's be honest, Ye's never been one to stick to release dates ... it's just not his thing.

George Foreman says Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.'s return to the boxing ring is a "beautiful thing" ... but admits he is scared the legendary pugilists could be seriously hurt.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... 54-year-old Tyson and 51-year-old Jones Jr. are coming out of retirement to put on a massively anticipated 8-round exhibition fight -- and combat sports fans are PUMPED!

But, Foreman -- who had 81 professional bouts against immortal fighters like Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier -- says he's very concerned about "Iron Mike" and RJJ's well-being.

"There's a time when you gotta worry about your health, but it's a beautiful thing that they would even come out," George says.

"Maybe they can even name a charity or something for the recipient of the funds. I think it's good to come out but its gotta be a fun thing, but I hope one does not hit the other."

FYI, Tyson -- who last fought in 2005 -- told us he's donating a portion of his fight paycheck to charity.

Foreman is admittedly anxious Mike and Roy could be permanently hurt, so we asked him if he'd advise the men to rethink their decision to step back into the squared circle.

"I would just tell them it's really dangerous but when you make up your mind to do something like that, you can't tell them 'don't do it.' They're not gonna hear that. Even me. Big fool like me, back in the day, I only saw what I wanted to see."

George says he totally understands why Mike and Roy want to fight ... and even revealed he attempted to make a third comeback in his mid-50's.

(Of course, George became heavyweight champ for a 2nd time at 45 years old.)

"I was 55 years old. I was in shape and everything," Foreman says, continuing ... "[My wife] says 'you're not going to do anything like that,' I said, 'I'm telling you, you can't tell me what to do. I can still  -- I said don't you believe in me? Look at me, I can still do it!'"

Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Malik Jackson says West Coast Customs overcharged him BIG TIME after he brought them some cars to trick out ... and now, he's suing.

In a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports, Jackson claims back in July 2019 ... he reached a deal with the famous California custom car shop to flip two of his Chevys into sick hot rods.

The problem? Jackson says more than a year later ... the shop still has his cars -- and wants WAY MORE cash than they initially quoted him on for the job.

Jackson says for one of the builds -- a Chevy Gasser -- he agreed to pay $200,000 to have the thing rebuilt and customized.

But, in the docs, Jackson claims when West Coast Customs brought him the bill ... it was more than $37,000 above the agreed-upon price.

In the docs, Jackson says with the other car he brought in -- a Chevy Cruiser -- WCC charged him more than $150,000 above the agreed-upon price as well.

Jackson is now suing the shop for breach of contract ... asking for more than $187,000 in damages.

We reached out to WCC -- which gained HUGE fame in the early 2000s for its work on MTV's "Pimp My Ride" ... but they had no comment.

Jackson is one of the NFL's highest-paid defensive players ... he signed a 3-year, $30 MILLION contract with the Eagles in 2019.

Tekashi 6ix9ine just lined up a serious payday to perform his upcoming album online ... the rapper tells us he just inked a massive deal for a single live stream concert.

The rapper, who's about to regain his freedom, tells TMZ ... he just put pen to paper on a $5 million live-streaming deal with GlobalStreamNow for a virtual performance of his soon-to-be-released record.

Tekashi tells us he'll hit the stage Saturday, Sept. 5 at 8 PM ET for the live-streamed show, which he says will run for about an hour and feature 12 songs from his album. He'll also interact online with fans.

6ix9ine is almost done with home confinement, but is keeping the physical location of his live stream under wraps. Remember, there's still concern about revenge for snitching, so Tekashi says security will be on hand to make sure everything goes off without a hitch.

He already has some big ideas for the performance ... and based on what he's telling us, prepare for lots of eye candy, dancers, a live band and colorful displays.

6ix9ine's keeping details about the record under wraps -- he won't divulge song titles or the album name yet -- but he tells us the record is dropping in the near future.

No need to risk your health attending a live concert ... according to Tekashi, who says the only thing his fans need to do to watch his performance is download the GlobalStreamNow app.

We reached out to GlobalStreamNow, but haven't heard back.