Money

It was a great night to be a "Drake" on Thursday ... 'cause Drake London got picked in the top 10 of the NFL Draft -- and Drake the rapper made a boatload of cash because of it!!!

Here's the deal ... a few months before Roger Goodell officially put the Jacksonville Jaguars on the clock in Las Vegas -- Drake decided to bet some cash on USC wideout and top prospect Drake London.

The "Toosie Slide" rapper threw down $100K -- saying "Drake betting on Drake just feels right" -- believing London would be the first wide receiver off the board. It was a bold bet, considering most had Garrett Wilson as the favorite for that honor.

Turns out, though, London was the top wideout picked -- going #8 overall to the Atlanta Falcons -- and according to Drake's betting slip, that earned him $225k!

London knew about Drake's bet ahead of the draft ... and told the Falcons' official team website that he and his buddies actually got a kick out of it before the event began.

"My friends were hitting my phone saying Champagne Papi bet on me," London said. "So, I thought that was funny."

Of course, placing -- and winning -- big bets is nothing new for Drake ... in fact, the 35-year-old recently got a huge payday for winning at an online roulette table.

But, he doesn't win 'em all ... remember, he famously lost $275k when he thought Jorge Masvidal would beat Colby Covington at UFC 272.

As for London, all bets side, he said he was thrilled to be picked by the Falcons on Thursday.

"I cannot wait to go out there and put on that jersey and just be a Dirty Bird at the end of the day."

Sneakerheads brace yourselves ... Odell Beckham just put his Ohio crib on the market for $3.3 million -- and the walk-in closet looks just like Footlocker!

Take a look (the awesome video was shot by EZ Media) ... the 13,800-square-foot pad sits on 2.13 acres in Columbia Station -- 20 miles west of Cleveland -- and comes with 4 bedrooms, 7 baths, a huge kitchen and 3 car garage.

The two-story home comes has a whole bunch of entertainment with the club-like bar, movie theatre, golf simulator, game room that's big enough for a hockey rink, pool and Ping-Pong table plus a private one for live-stream gaming.

There's also a swimming pool with a slide and gym with a basketball hoop for outdoor fun.

But, what stood out the most was this insane custom-made walk-in closet that looks like a sneaker boutique with the outrageous amount of room for probably 100 pairs of kicks!

Well, OBJ is considered one of the best-dressed players in the game right now so it makes sense why he had this Footlocker-looking closet made.

This cool pad was listed this week by Megan Pettine of Keller Williams ... and has a $3.3 million price tag.

Of course, OBJ is officially giving O-H the deuces after the 3x Pro Bowler was released by the Cleveland Browns last November.

Beckham ended up signing a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million with the Rams and won his first Super Bowl this year. He's currently a free agent.

Fresh off saving the day for Coachella by filling its headliner vacancy when Ye dropped out, The Weeknd is cashing in with his longtime label.

Universal Music Group (UMG) announced Thursday ... Abel and his XO imprint entered a long-term deal that will allow him to remain the big market fixture and globally renowned star he is today.

The label went BIG to show its love for The Weeknd -- "Most powerful man in music," Sir Lucian Grainge, XO founder, Wassim 'SAL' Slaiby, Republic Records Chairman, Monte Lipman, and Universal Music Publishing Group Chairman, Jody Gerson, all gathered to give the singer props.

He enters the new deal as popular as advertised: His 2020 single "Blinding Lights" is the record-holder for the longest-running song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at 90 weeks, his latest album "Dawn FM" set another record for most debut songs on the chart with 24, and he's sold over 75 million albums.

Jake Paul's bet with Eddie Hearn for this weekend's matchup between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor will NOT involve any tattoos -- just a million freakin' dollars!!

It all went down during the final presser for the huge fight going down this Saturday at Madison Square Garden ... with Hearn igniting the wager after he asked Paul about his fighter.

"You're fully confident that your charge will be victorious and become undisputed lightweight world champion?" Hearn asked Paul on Friday.

Of course, JP doubled down on his belief Serrano will come out on top -- and that's when the 25-year-old boxer placed his bet.

"I got a bet for you Eddie," Paul said. "I bet you all the jewelry that I'm wearing right now that Amanda wins the fight."

Hearn hit him back with a couple of jokes ... saying "10 grand is not a lot" -- but Paul insists his diamond chain is worth $500k!

"Maybe we can talk a million," Hearn replied ... and the two shook hands.

Of course, Paul is known for making bets when it comes to the boxing ring -- remember, Tyron Woodley had to get an "I Love You Jake Paul" tattoo after he lost to the 5-0 boxer last August.

The $1 million bet ain't the only big-money deals being made this week ... the two female boxers' purse will be more than that, Paul previously said.

"This is just historic for the sport in general."

Amber Heard is getting called out in court for allegedly failing to follow through on a huge donation to charity -- the ACLU says she gave them less than half of her $3.5 million pledge -- though she's still got a few years left to fulfill that promise.

Here's the deal ... when Amber reached a divorce settlement with Johnny Depp back in 2016, she announced she would donate her entire $7 million payout to charity, splitting it between the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and the ACLU ... to be paid within 10 years.

Amber's pledge was revisited Thursday in Depp's defamation trial against Heard ... with ACLU honcho Terence Dougherty saying the non-profit received 4 donations in Amber's name, totaling only $1.3 million.

What's more, Dougherty says Amber only gave the ACLU $350k directly, while Depp wrote them a check for $100k. The ACLU says the other payments included $500k from a donor-advised fund at Vanguard and $350k from a donor-advised fund at Fidelity.

And, get this ... Dougherty says the ACLU believes the $500k payment was actually from a fund set up by Elon Musk, whom Amber dated after her split from Depp.

Dougherty said Elon emailed the ACLU's executive director, Anthony Romero, back in 2016 indicating Amber would donate the $3.5 million over 10 years, but he says 2019 was the last year the ACLU got a donation from Heard.

They also say she held back from released her op-ed until the release of "Aquaman" to capitalize on publicity for the film.

It's just another juicy nugget in a trial full of 'em ... like this bizarre testimony Wednesday from Johnny and Amber's former doorman, Alejandro Romero.

In a pre-recorded deposition played in court, Romero smoked from a vape pen while driving and recalled the time Amber thought someone was breaking into their home, when it turned out to just be a dog scratching at the door.

Alan Cumming is on the hunt for his missing chimpanzee former co-star, Tonka ... and, he's putting up $10K to anyone who might have any info.

Tonka was last seen in a cage at a chimp breeding facility in Missouri. The facility no longer exists, but it was a place where chimps were bred then sold to private owners or rented out for movies and parties.

In case you didn't know, Alan and his furry friend go way back ... starring in the 1997 comedy "Buddy" together, alongside Rene Russo.

In a statement, Alan said ... “During the months we filmed together, baby Tonka and I became good friends, playing and grooming each other and just generally larking about".

And, whoever might have any information on the missing chimp will be walking away with double the money ... cause PETA put up another $10K reward, making the total cash about $20K.

Derek Stingley Jr. has clearly upgraded his drip ahead of the biggest day of his life ... the top NFL draft prospect is now rockin' a brand new, massive "STING" chain!!

The former LSU superstar -- who's expected to be selected with one of the first 10 picks Thursday night -- showed off the ice to TMZ Sports out at Splash lounge (owned by Jizzy Mack, Floyd Mayweather's TMT bodyguard) in Las Vegas on Wednesday night ... and it's awesome.

The pendant is huge -- almost the size of one of his pecs ... and the chain it's clasped to is covered in diamonds as well.

Stingley Jr. apparently got it in the last couple weeks as he prepped for the big NFL draft night ... because as recently as January, he was wearin' a much smaller version.

No word on what it cost Stingley Jr. to upgrade ... but the dude is about to be a multi-millionaire, so he can certainly afford it.

As for how he's feeling just hours before becoming an NFL player ... watch the clip, the cornerback obviously ain't nervous about much before his life changes forever.

Forget jewelry, cars and fancy booze ... top NFL draft prospect Ikem Ekwonu tells TMZ Sports he's gunnin' to buy a dope new pad as the first big purchase with his rookie money!!

The former N.C. State offensive lineman -- who's projected to be a top-five pick on Thursday night in Las Vegas -- says once the cash hits his bank account following the draft, he'll be looking to spend some of it on a new place.

"I'll find a nice place to stay," "Ickey" told us out in Vegas on Wednesday night. "Apartment, condo -- something."

Ekwonu will certainly have a lot of grandiose homes to choose from when the shopping begins ... because, after all, top-five picks in the draft make around $30 million on their initial deals.

As for where Ekwonu will be buying the land -- no one's sure yet ... some experts have him going to the Jacksonville Jaguars at #1 overall, and some have him going to the Houston Texans at #3.

A sex worker in Nevada tells TMZ Sports she's so grateful for the revenue that the NFL Draft has brought her this month ... she wants to give Thursday's #1 overall pick a free "sex romp."

Roxanne Price -- a 27-year-old licensed sex worker -- tells us that Las Vegas escorts have taken a hit during the COVID pandemic ... but with the NFL draft coming to town this week, big money is finally starting to come back to the industry.

And, Price wants to thank the NFL for it all ... specifically by giving the draft's #1 overall pick this week top-notch service at the Chicken Ranch Brothel just outside of Las Vegas -- 100% free!

"The least I can do is offer the top draft pick the most valuable thing I possess, my premium erotic services at no charge," Price tells us. "It's my way of saying, 'Thank you' to the athletes that inspire us all."

Roxanne -- the 2017 Lover of the Year winner -- tells us her offer comes with a complimentary limo service and a promise to "cater to his fantasies."

And, if the #1 pick doesn't have time this weekend, Roxanne tells us he can schedule it for a future date.

FYI ... according to most mock drafts, the Jaguars will likely pick either Georgia pass rusher Travon Walker or Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson with the top pick.

A Massachusetts family was awarded almost $5 MILLION after their home -- which sits on a country club -- was trashed after it was repeatedly hit with golf balls, smashing 26 windows ... the family's attorney confirmed to TMZ Sports.

The Tenczar family lives near the fairway of the 15th hole of the Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston, MA. They've lived there for about 4 years.

And, it's been an absolute disaster, according to the family lawyer, Robert Galvin, who tells us the home has been pelted with nearly 700 golf balls.

The damage? Galvin says 26 windows needed replacement ... in addition to the entire siding of the home.

"It's really a safety issue for them," Galvin told us. "They're literally sitting inside their home and golf balls are smashing through their windows."

The family eventually decided to go to court and won BIG.

A Plymouth County judge ultimately awarded the family $100K in damages ... and $3.4 million for distress.

Indian Ponds argued it wasn't their fault ... essentially believing the Tenczar family should've known living on a golf course came with certain hazards.

But, the judge clearly wasn't buying that argument ... and the family was awarded a fortune.

There's new buzz President Biden is seriously mulling a move with huge consequences for college grads -- canceling student debt ... something Rep. Rashida Tlaib is totally behind.

The Michigan congresswoman gave us her 2 cents Wednesday on Capitol Hill -- this amid new reports suggesting Biden has signaled to different caucus leaders this week he might, in fact, be ready to nix a significant amount of Dept. of Education loans for millions of Americans ... and as you can see, she's more than ready to see that happen.

Rep. Tlaib says she appreciates the Biden administration having pushed back the repayment start date for folks time and again throughout the pandemic -- the goal post was moved yet again earlier this year for payments to begin in August -- but she says that's not good enough.

She describes how scores of young people who are bogged down with thousands upon thousands in loans feel like they can't even begin to climb out of that hole ... and that if the prez helps 'em out, it will be a major relief that'll allow them to get ahead in life.

In the same breath, she takes some shots at billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos -- who've reportedly made even more money these past 2 years -- by claiming they don't do enough for society ... but rather, are more interested in building their own wealth.

That, of course, is up for debate ... but the Representative thinks erasing these loans is a great first step for ordinary citizens. Sen. Bernie Sanders agrees -- he, too, was out championing the push to cancel student debt ... and has some youthful backing behind him.

Peyton Manning is helping Demaryius Thomas' legacy live on at Georgia Tech -- the Hall of Famer just announced he's establishing a scholarship program at GT ... all to benefit the hometown of his late friend and teammate.

The Broncos legend shared the news on Wednesday ... saying his family's PeyBack Foundation is partnering up with DT's alma mater to launch the Demaryius A. Thomas Scholarship Endowment.

"An important part of Demaryius' legacy was the way he inspired the next generation to pursue their dreams with the same perseverance and determination that defined him," Manning said.

The scholarships (full and partial) will be for students in Laurens County, Georgia -- where DT was born and raised -- who plan on attending Georgia Tech.

To be eligible, students must have a 3.2 or higher GPA in high school ... and involvement with community service. The scholarship covers students until they graduate -- as long as they maintain good grades.

"Through this scholarship to Georgia Tech, Demaryius will have a lasting impact on deserving youth from his hometown area who can follow in his footsteps and accomplish great things in life."

Manning and Thomas were teammates on the Denver Broncos from 2012 to 2015 ... and won Super Bowl XLI.

"Demaryius Thomas was an incredibly talented and unselfish teammate but more important, he was a special person and friend."

As we previously reported, Thomas was tragically found dead after going into "cardiac arrest" at his Georgia home last December.

NFL star Laremy Tunsil is turning one of the lowest moments of his life into potentially one of the best for someone ... announcing Wednesday he's making his infamous draft day gas mask bong video into an NFT for charity.

Tunsil said the non-fungible token was minted on Wednesday morning as a 1-of-1 ... adding that a portion of the proceeds that it nets will go toward The Last Prisoner project, an org designed to help those who were jailed for cannabis offenses.

In announcing the NFT, Tunsil said he hopes the sale and subsequent donation officially puts the day and the moment in his rearview mirror for good.

"I'm looking toward and excited for the future," the Houston Texans left tackle said, "and am grateful for all of those that supported me on my draft night and those that have and will continue to support my journey!"

If you're unfamiliar ... the video -- showing Tunsil smoking a substance out of a gas mask bong -- was posted to the football player's social media without his permission just minutes before the 2016 NFL Draft.

Tunsil was projected to be a high pick -- perhaps going as early as the top 5 -- before the video's release ... but after it got out, he tumbled to the Miami Dolphins at pick No. 13.

Tunsil has since gone on to have a stellar career -- he's made two Pro Bowls in six seasons -- but he's said the April 2016 night was one of his lowest moments.

"Probably one of the worst feelings I ever experienced in my life," Tunsil said in 2021 in a rare interview about the moment to Complex. "I don't wish that situation, that experience on nobody else."

Kylie Jenner is making a move to expand her makeup empire ... it looks like she now wants her cosmetics line to cover magic potions for eyes.

Kylie's company filed trademark docs to lock up the rights to a name for her potential new revenue stream ... "KYLASH."

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Kylie is looking to use "KYLASH" in her growing makeup line to include more products ... including extension fibers, cosmetic preparations, tints and serums for eyelashes.

The docs make it look like Kylie also wants to slap the name on eye makeup remover and mascara. So, she's covering all her bases.

A vacant lot just steps away from Beyoncé's childhood home now has a new buyer ... and no, it won't be used as a shrine for the singer!!!

Real estate investor, Kevin Wright, tells TMZ … the land located on Rosedale Street in Houston is now spoken for ...  the 8,640 sq. ft. lot is selling for $310k.

The lot abuts the house where Beyoncé spent her early years. The Knowles family actually bought the home back in 1981 for $64k. They ended up moving out before Solange was born in 1986.

Kevin originally listed the property with a sign that said "Build On Beyonce's Old Block" ... and we're told that's exactly what the next buyer wants to do ... build a new home.

The buyer's real estate agent, Yvonne Bonner-Holley, says it's no surprise ... the buyer is a Bey fan like most people in the Houston area, but that's not what drove the sale ... it happens to be a beautiful, historic neighborhood.

Great news for Rams fans ... star defensive tackle Aaron Donald purchased a $17 million Hidden Hills home after selling his old crib in Calabasas, so it sure looks like AD isn't leaving Los Angeles!!

Yes, Rams fans, breathe.

Of course, droves of Rams fans feared the future Hall of Famer was ready to retire when he sold his Calabasas mansion for $6.258 million a few weeks ago.

But, as it turns out ... the man was just upgrading (not that the OG house wasn't awesome) estates!!

Donald's new 12,000 square-foot pad features 8 bedrooms, 9 nine baths, a game room, movie theater, gym with a steam shower and sauna.

There's more ... the luxurious home includes a spacious living room with a fireplace and a private office for studying that playbook.

In fact, with AD's latest purchase, the 3-time defensive player of the year is basically neighbors with his Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Sean McVay.

As if that wasn't enough, Donald's new residence -- which was originally constructed in 1983 -- has a four-car garage and an outdoor pool.

If there was ever any doubt that AD wasn't coming back -- and planned on hanging up his pads -- he now has 17 million reasons to play next season.

Sandro Dazzan and Cooper Mount of The Agency held the listing.