Money

Jeff Bezos is a billionaire 9 ... 'cause he's showing off his impressive bod during a yacht trip with his girlfriend.

J.B. and Lauren Sanchez continued their PDA Xmas tour in the Caribbean. As we told you a few days back, the Caribbean -- in particular, St. Barts -- is a place where rich folk go to show off their yachts, competing for bragging rights. The larger the boat, the bigger the boast.

Jeff and Lauren have been ensconced in the area for nearly a week, showing tons of affection as they hiked, lounged and did whatever super-rich people do on vacay.

Jeff looks like he's been working out more lately ... the 57-year-old Amazon titan is super buff ... check out the arms!!!

Bezos has said he's following a strict regiment of 8-hours nightly sleep, healthy eating and working out.

They're able to bypass a lot in the midst of the Omicron outbreak -- like commercial flights -- but it's still dicey to go onshore given the rapid spread of the variant. It helps to have beefy security to keep normies at bay.

Diddy is getting rid of some bad memories ... because he sold the mansion where his late soulmate, Kim Porter, died.

Diddy put the Toluca Lake mansion up for sale back in October, listing it for $7 mil, and now there's a buyer ... the deal is pending and will likely close this week, but the sale is not final.

The sprawling estate is 9,655 square feet with 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms ... and it's got all the bells and whistles, including a family-sized pool and spa, plus a sports court.

The gated property sits on a half-acre on one of the most famous streets in the San Fernando Valley ... and the celeb neighbors include Steve Carell, Billy Ray Cyrus, Viola Davis and Sia.

As you know ... Kim, a model and actress, dated Diddy off and on for 13 years and they had 3 kids together, including 2 daughters and a son.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim was found dead in the home back in November 2018 at the age of 47, after losing her battle with pneumonia.

Mark Rylance's turn as a deranged tech CEO in 'Don't Look Up' is a clear dig at our country's leading billionaire visionaries -- but the question ... who's it actually aimed at???

You've probably heard about this new Netflix flick -- but what you may not have known ... Rylance portrayal as chief of a revolutionary company is getting compared to guys like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook and others pushing the information envelope.

One thing the internet can't seem to agree on ... which of these billionaires serves as the true inspiration behind Rylance's Peter Isherwell, who ends up contributing to everyone on Earth (save a select few) getting killed by an incoming comet. Sorry, spoiler alert!

For those who've seen it, you know Isherwell runs a company called BASH, which seems to be a spinoff of Apple -- a la Cook/Jobs -- but it's way more advanced, in that it reads your every thought and mood, and predicts how you'll die ... all based on data it collects on its users. Isherwell, funny enough, also runs a space unit of some sort ... similar to Musk.

In the end, Isherwell's plan to blow up the incoming comet and collect the precious minerals found within it completely backfires ... having led Meryl Streep (the President) and the rest of the world's citizens astray. He high-tails it off Earth, before it blows up, in his own rocket, and attempts to colonize a new planet in the distant galaxy (which also hilariously backfires).

The point is ... the dude seems to be an amalgam of all these guys in one -- although most people appear to think he's most like Time's Person of the Year for 2021.

It sounds like Rylance himself sees a little Elon in his character as well ... although he's quick to point out Isherwell isn't necessarily a dead ringer for any one of the tech-y billionaires, despite him certainly being a farcical take on just about all of them.

As he explains, Isherwell's actions are premised on the idea that any of our world's problems can be solved with technology -- a testament to our times and where we're headed.

Tom Holland may be the biggest thing in Hollywood, because "Spider-Man: No Way Home" has just topped Sony's list of highest-grossing movies ever ... and it's not his only billion-dollar flick.

The latest Spider-Man installment gave Sony the biggest December opening weekend ever ... it's about to cross the billion-dollar mark worldwide. That's a big deal because no other film released during the pandemic came even close. And, although the anemic movie industry only produced $4 billion in box office receipts -- compared with 11 billion in 2019 -- 'Spider-Man' is responsible for a quarter of the total haul -- pretty impressive.

What's more ... this is the 5th movie starring Holland which crossed the billion-dollar level.

The latest installment is poised to break even "Spider-Man" records ... the current title-holder is "Spider-Man: Homecoming" which grossed $1.1 billion, and "No Way Home" is expected to crush that.

There will be more 'S-M' movies for sure ... so Marvel assures us.

One of the biggest names in L.A. real estate is back at it, but this time it's personal because Jason Oppenheim is selling his Hollywood Hills home for $7.9mil ... TMZ has learned.

The "Selling Sunset" star markets luxurious homes ... and this 4 bedroom, 5,000-sq-ft pad is consistent with his M.O.

The home has some pretty impressive features, including 13-ft ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows sliding glass doors, lots of space and a ton of natural light.

As you see in the photos, the yard is an entertainer's dream ... with a fireplace, pool with a set of floating steps smack in the middle, a massage room, a sauna, a built-in BBQ, and a TV viewing area.

Whoever's the next new kid on the block will enjoy not one, but 2 master suites.

The home sits high above the Sunset Strip ... looking down on Jason's now-famous offices.

As you know, Jason upgraded to another sick home late last year and it was a plot point on season 4 of the Netflix show.

A game-worn Tom Brady jersey that the quarterback wrote "G.O.A.T" on has just hit the auction block -- and TMZ Sports has learned it's so rare, it could fetch over $600,000.

Check out the uniform ... it's an all-black Buccaneers kit that Brady wore when he carved up the Atlanta Falcons on Jan. 3, 2021, just a few weeks before he won Super Bowl LV in Tampa.

Brady autographed it uniquely -- writing down his stats from the game (26/41 for 399 yards and 4 TDs) and also jotting down "SB LV MVP."

But, he also added another inscription at the bottom of the #2 -- putting the letters "G.O.A.T."

The guys at Goldin -- which is handling the auction -- tell us it's believed to be the only game-worn jersey in Brady history that he's written "G.O.A.T." on.

We're told it's such a one-of-a-kind piece, getting over half a million dollars for it should be no problem.

Iain Armitage is doing quite well for himself outside of his usual revenue stream as the child star of "Young Sheldon" -- he earned another fat payday on his latest animated film.

According to Iain's minor's contract -- filed in L.A. Superior Court and obtained by TMZ -- the 13-year-old actor made at least $100,000 for his work on "PAW Patrol: The Movie" ... but he could have taken home even more than that.

The contract says Iain was paid $10,000 for each recording session he did for the movie ... and the deal says he was guaranteed at least 10 sessions, so there's $100k off the jump.

Iain, who is the voice of Chase in the animated movie, also had contractual bonuses depending on how well the film did at box offices in the U.S. and Canada after being released back in August ... but unfortunately for him, it didn't pan out.

The docs say Iain would have earned a $175,000 bonus if the film reached at least $150 million at the domestic box office ... and there are escalators that could see his total bonus haul reach $1.675 million, again, depending on how many kids drag their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to movie theaters.

However, the flick came up a little short with $130 million at the box office -- so he settled for the six-figure payday. Still a pretty sweet check at 13, or any age, for that matter!!!

Lakers co-owner Jesse Buss just got a whole lot richer -- and LeBron James just got a new neighbor -- 'cause the youngest of the six Buss siblings just sold his L.A. mansion next to LBJ's for $10.7 million.

Buss put the home on the market in October after buying it in 2018 ... and TMZ Sports has learned it just sold this week.

Buss got darn-near asking price for it -- he originally listed it through Jennifer Beron of Compass for $11 million -- and it's easy to see why.

In addition to being near LeBron's famous L.A. pad, the mansion has over 6,500 square feet and features 6 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, a home theater, a yoga room, and an infinity pool which offers great views of the city and canyons.

There's more -- the crib also comes with a chef's kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances, a full gym, an illuminated bar, and a temperature-controlled wine cellar.

There's gonna be less space in space, because the newest clutter is the most powerful telescope ever hurled into the heavens, and it promises a new, never-before-seen look that could alter the way earthlings live.

We're talkin' The James Webb Space Telescope, which lifted off early Xmas morning from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

NASA described the launch this way ...  "At 7:20am ET (12:20 UTC), the beginning of a new, exciting decade of science climbed to the sky. Webb’s mission to #UnfoldTheUniverse will change our understanding of space as we know it."

That may not be an overstatement ... the telescope is the most powerful and most complex ... a space observatory that will study exoplanets -- those are planets outside our solar system.

Thing is ... scientists think some of the exoplanets could be habitable, and that means 1) is there existing life on any of them? And 2) could we live there either by choice or necessity?

There have been years of delay in launching the scope for various reasons. As for specs -- its mirror can extend more than 21 feet, which gives it the ability to capture more light from the objects it's photographing ... and that will enhance the details scientists will study.

The mirror has 18 hexagonal, gold-coated segments ... fancy!

Bottom line ... scientists should be able to see things, including planets, they've never seen before.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas for some homeless military vets in L.A., thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger ... 'cause they now have new homes.

Arnold just paid a visit to some of the vets, now ensconced in the 25 tiny homes he bought for them. They've finally been installed, and Arnold's thrilled ... "It was fantastic to spend some time with our heroes and welcome them into their new homes."

Schwarzenegger also shared photos of the homes and selfies with the vets and everyone was stoked, including The Terminator, who said, "I am ecstatic! I am really ecstatic. To me, this is the greatest Christmas gift."

Arnold bankrolled the houses to the tune of $250k. It's become a thing in L.A. and elsewhere ... a way to abate the homeless crisis. Jon Cryer and his wife, Lisa Joyner, have also been super involved with tiny homes.

The homes are fully equipped with electricity, air conditioning and room enough to settle in. Arnold's optimistic ... "We proved that when we all work together, we can solve any problem."

Josh Altman says there's no competition between 'Million Dollar Listing' and "Selling Sunset" ... but it's not the nice gesture it might sound like at first glance.

The 'MDL' star joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked him if there's any competitive fire between his group and the folks on 'SS' ... because we know how fiery L.A. realtors can be.

Josh ripped a page outta Jay-Z's playbook, telling us the 'Sunset' folk aren't even in the same conversation as his show, because the 'Million Dollar' team's doing way bigger deals than anyone over at Oppenheim.

While Josh brags about the massive dollar figures over on his side -- and there are some really BIG numbers -- he does give the Netflix show some credit, but mostly for fashion.

He's got a new spinoff, "Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles: Josh and Josh" premiering tonight on Bravo. It costars his frenemy-turned-BFF Josh Flagg, and while there's been plenty of friction between them -- Altman acknowledges 'Sunset' might have 'em beat in the drama department, but NOT if you're talking bottom lines on a sales ledger.

The funny thing is Josh told us, "I'm not trying to start a fight" with that other cast.

Jeff Bezos and his GF Lauren Sanchez are getting back down to Earth for their Christmas vacay -- well, as much as you can when you're the second richest man in the world.

The couple couldn't keep their hands or lips off each other while hiking in St. Barts. The PDA fest went down while there were plenty of other folks on the trail ... but looks like they're too chill to give a damn.

The scenic stroll seems pretty pedestrian compared to what Jeff's been doing a lot of lately ... either riding into orbit himself aboard his Blue Origin spacecraft or greeting his companies astronauts -- like Michael Strahan and William Shatner -- when they touch down.

As you may know, the former journalist and the big-time billionaire went public with their relationship back in January 2019... after Bezos and his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott announced their high-profile divorce.

Lauren and Jeff have come a long way since then -- and by that we mean they've traveled tens of thousands of miles together. Fabulous trips like this one to the Caribbean island are kinda their thing.

Bad news for Tommy Fury -- the boxer might have missed his shot at fighting Jake Paul for good ... 'cause the YouTube superstar says he wants a bigger name to be his next opponent.

Fury -- who backed out of the Dec. 18 bout with a chest infection and broken rib -- said earlier this week he was gunning to reschedule their fight ASAP ... promising to make it happen as soon as he's healthy.

But, Jake seems to be over it, revealing in an interview with USA Today he's not interested in going down that road again after knocking Tyron Woodley out in dramatic fashion.

"Most likely not Tommy," Jake said. "I kind of want someone with a bigger name."

"We’ll see how all the stars align, but I’m tired of carrying all these Pay-per-view buys by myself."

It would be a huge bummer of an ending of the Paul/Fury feud if they don't fight -- after all, they LOVED trolling each other all 2021.

Now, the Fury name is huge in boxing -- Tommy's older bro, Tyson is the world heavyweight champ -- but Paul's called out UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal, who quickly shut down his $5 million offer.

In the meantime, Jake says he's gonna rest up and enjoy some downtime before entering the ring again.

Britney Spears is reminding fans what kinda voice she has -- and while she's looking forward to using it again in a studio, she's not ready to let go of her past anger at her family.

Britney posted a video Wednesday standing in front of her mirror and singing at the top of her voice -- not many lyrics, mostly an R&B-style vocal run. Her caption, though, is pure venom for her family ... she wrote, "I just realized this today guys … after what my family tried to do to me three years ago … I needed to be my own cheerleader 🤷🏼‍♀️ !!!! God knows they weren’t."

She posted a bunch of her accomplishments, apparently after a little Googling, she found she's sold 100 million records, 33 million albums and logged billions of online streams. That's the good news.

On the other hand, she says, "I’m here to remind my white 'classy' family that I haven’t forgotten what they did to me nor will I ever forget !!!!⁣"

As for what happened 3 years ago, Brit's likely referring to when her family allegedly put her back into rehab in 2019. Remember, she was just about to start her Vegas show, but needed to postpone it ... and her dad, Jamie Spears, had become very ill.

Britney also teased fans, saying ... "Pssss new song in the works … I’m gonna let you know what I mean 😉 !!!!!"

Mariah Carey's classic Christmas jingle is the gift that keeps on giving ... to her bank account, that is ... we've done the math and she's scored millions of XMAS $$$.

Our music industry sources tell us Mariah still pulls in big bucks on licensing and commercial deals for the classic. While we're told she's only making a fraction of a cent every time someone streams "All I Want For Christmas Is You," the fractions add up to seven figures and counting, considering the popular Xmas track has over 1 billion streams just on Spotify.

One source who manages artists tells us singers typically make between .003 to .004 of a dollar per single stream ... and in Mariah's case, that would work out to between $3,249,600 and $4,332,800 just on Spotify alone ... and the figure will only grow.

Mariah's 1994 song is hugely popular around the holidays and as another source put it ... "Mariah can sit on her a** for the rest of her life and ONLY promote AIWFC and still be a millionaire."

What's more, the numbers don't even take into account streams on other platforms, including Apple Music. We reached out to Apple for an all-time count on 'AIWFC' streams ... so far no word back.

Streaming platforms weren't around when Mariah first launched the song, and it's pre-streaming days when she would've made the most money in sales ... but that doesn't mean today's numbers translate to chump change.

Cardi B wasn't the only one to shower Offset in gifts for his 30th birthday -- LeBron James also sent some dope presents to the rapper to celebrate the big night!

The King signed a pair of all-white Air Force 1s and shipped them over to Offset's bday bash in Los Angeles on Tuesday, and they're pretty awesome.

The Lakers superstar put his autograph on both sneakers ... and added a happy birthday message to one of the shoes as well.

James also gifted Offset with a custom bottle of his Lobos 1707.

Offset clearly loved the presents -- he shouted out LeBron on social media, thanking the NBA player for the swag.

Of course, the gifts were great, but LBJ had a ton of competition to win the night's best present award.

A bunch of celebs showed up to celebrate Offset at the bash, with most coming baring gifts -- including Cardi B, who handed over her man a $2 MILLION check.

Yeah ... LBJ's signature is great, but hard to beat cash!