Money

Slim Thug’s key to staying rich is avoiding spending sprees on fancy clothes -- the Houston Boss Hogg admits he has no issue rocking discount threads ... even in da club.

Slim gave his fans a masterclass -- with more than a dash of homophobia, though -- as he chastised dudes who flock to clubs wearing the same expensive designer outfits.

In his post Thursday, he said he keeps it playa for just pennies, and proved it ... yanking the price tags of his top and shorts to reveal he'd dropped less than $20 for both.

Seems like price isn't his only issue -- he also mentioned gay designers make all those high-priced clothes. Basically, Slim thinks Dior and Gucci shirts make people look gay.

Um, WTH? 🤔

Hard to take his advice on saving cash, since he also bragged about dropping millions on jewelry to distract from his frugal fashion choices.

ST says he's seen many rappers go broke splurging on their wardrobes. Yeah, we're sure it's the clothing bill and not the bling.

Anyway, fans found Slim's message confusing ... considering the rapper's selling cargo pants for $75 on his own website!!!

L.A.'s new "mansion tax" is about to go into effect, forcing sellers to cough up a ton of cash if their property sells for at least $5 million ... and Josh Altman is one of many real estate agents who think it's absurd.

Josh joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live," and immediately dumped on measure ULA ... calling it "the dumbest tax ever put through in the history of Los Angeles." Passed on the ballot last November, it slaps a 4 percent tax on homes selling for $5 mil and up, and 5.5 percent on those selling above $10M.

Josh points out the ridiculous ways agents would have to work around the taxes if they wanted to, including listing it for cheaper than its actual value ... just to dodge the additional tax.

The selling point to voters who supported the tax was the funds would go toward battling the homeless crisis in L.A. by developing more affordable housing -- it's projected to bring in $1B annually.

Josh tells us he's all for helping the unhoused, but just doesn't believe they'll get a dime from the new taxes.

Conor McGregor got so fired up about revealing a donation to a charity he loves on Wednesday night that he straight-up dropped an F-bomb live on TV!!!

The UFC superstar appeared on Fox News' "Hannity" to announce a $1 million donation to Tunnel to Towers -- a charity created following the 9/11 tragedy to help families of emergency responders who died in the line of duty -- when he got a little too excited.

Speaking with the org's CEO, Frank Siller -- the brother of 9/11 hero Stephen Siller, who lost his life trying to save others in the World Trade Center attack -- McGregor couldn't help but utter a cuss word.

"Frank, I'm honored to support you," he said just seconds after he was introduced by Hannity on the show. "I wanted to say, your brother Stephen is a f***ing -- excuse me, is a hero."

"He's a hero. You're a hero."

Despite the PG-13 language, the audience loved it -- as did Frank, who told Conor, "You had it right the first time!"

Conor then presented the giant check to Frank, who vowed to use some of the money to pay off the mortgage for a family that recently lost a loved one who died while fighting the recent deadly fire in Buffalo.

McGregor later said he was sorry for swearing, telling Hannity, "I would have to curse on Fox. I apologize. I apologize."

But, Hannity told him, "Don't worry about it. It's the one place you can!"

Diddy is officially throwing his Sean John hat in the ring to purchase BET, a necessary buy in his eyes as he believes Black Entertainment Television should be ... well, um, Black-owned!!!

As far as Diddy's concerned, media is the world's most powerful industry and Black people should control their own narratives and timelines.

The Bad Boy music mogul outlined his plans Wednesday to obtain the network, sharing a video clip from the "Earn Your Leisure" podcast that stressed the need for African Americans to scoop up BET from the clutches of Paramount Global.

Diddy's desire to head BET could pit him against Tyler Perry and Byron Allen -- who are also reportedly trying to get the network -- but the 53-year-old also isn't shying away from possibly becoming a co-owner.

Diddy says his goal is to assemble a team of leaders who are looking to purchase the network as a unit to consolidate all the money, power and respect!!!

Obviously, the acquisition would strengthen Diddy's existing Revolt empire, and allow for maximum levels of content to be shared -- but sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Hip Hop they're still a long way from any official negotiations.

BET Media Group's properties include BET, BET+, VH1 and BET Studios ... so the eventual owner will have plenty of platforms for content.

Aaron Rodgers just admitted he wants to be a New York Jet in 2023 ... saying it's clear to him the Green Bay Packers no longer want him.

The star quarterback broke everything down about his current situation on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday afternoon -- saying as of last Friday, he had decided to not retire ... and his intention is to now "play for the New York Jets."

He added that following conversations with Green Bay execs, he believed the Packers "would like to move on" as well.

Rodgers said he's not the one holding up an official Green Bay to NY trade from going through -- saying it's the Packers who are the ones preventing a deal. He explained ... his former team is still trying to work out compensation for the QB.

The 39-year-old said he harbors no ill will toward his former team for the way it's all going down now ... but he did say he wished the Packers had been more honest with him following the season.

He told McAfee that, initially, Green Bay brass had said "take as long as you want" ... and "if you want to come back and play, the door is wide open."

But, Rodgers -- who admitted he had seriously considered retiring ("90 percent," he called it) prior to his darkness retreat in late February -- said things changed when he returned from isolation.

"Multiple people that I trust around the league said that there was some shopping going on," Rodgers said. "[The Packers] were interested in moving me."

He added, "They're ready to move on with Jordan [Love]. That's awesome. Jordan is going to be a great player, he's a great kid."

No word yet on when a trade will happen -- but one thing is clear, it appears to be truly a matter of "when" now ... no longer "if."

Ryan Reynolds' has the Midas touch ... his Mint Mobile company just got swallowed up for a price tag of $1.35 BILLION ... and he gets a HUGE chunk of that.

Mint will be sold to T-Mobile, as part of a larger deal with Mint's parent company, Ka'ena Corp.

It's unclear exactly how much Ryan will pocket -- he's a 25% stakeholder in Mint -- but it not gonna be chump change, for sure.

Ryan released a statement, saying "We're so happy T-Mobile beat out an aggressive last-minute bid from my mom," adding the company's 5G network is slightly more sophisticated than "my mom's slightly-above-average mahjong skills."

Mint Mobile founders Rizwan Kassim and David Glickman will stay on board at T-Mobile and continue to manage their company ... while Ryan will remain as the spokesperson. The deal is set to close later this year.

If the MMA awards ever add a "best son" category, just give the damn trophy to Derek Brunson ... the UFC star just bought his mom a new car!

39-year-old Brunson, the 8th ranked UFC middleweight in the world, surprised his mom with a brand-spankin' new 2023 car ... and it's pretty awesome.

"Got Mom a 2023 Nissan Sentra one of my. Best purchase so far. We’re almost even from changing my stinky diapers 😂❤️" DB wrote on social media.

Of course, Brunson's been in Dana White's organization since 2012. In his first UFC fight, Derek beat Chris Leben by unanimous decision.

Brunson's long been one of the ten best 185 lb. fighters in the promotion ... and has wins over beasts like Darren Till, Kevin Holland, Edmen Shahbazyan, and Lyota Machida, amongst many others.

Derek lost his last scrap at UFC 285 against Dricus Du Plessis ... and there's talk it could've been his last time in the Octagon.

It's actually not the first time Derek's bought mom a new whip. Back in 2020, he talked about the sacrifices his mother made for him, and explained why he made the big purchase for her.

"In 2004 my mom went into her bank account she worked super hard for and purchased my first car. 2020 I went in my bank account I worked super hard for and purchased her a car. Life is such a cycle. Take care of those who take care of you! ❤️"

Michael Irvin is refiling his $100 million lawsuit against Marriott ... moving the matter to Arizona after receiving new details in the case, TMZ Sports has learned.

Our sources tell us ... after Marriott turned over the names of Irvin's accuser and others involved in the allegations against the former Dallas Cowboys star, Irvin's legal team filed a notice of dismissal for the case in Texas -- with the plan of refiling it in Arizona, the state where the alleged incident happened.

We're told Irvin's attorney, Levi McCathern, is set to have a news conference regarding the developments later Tuesday.

Irvin has been accused of sexually harassing a hotel worker on Feb. 5 while in Phoenix to help cover the Chiefs vs. Eagles Super Bowl.

According to court documents filed last week, a woman claims Irvin stopped her near the hotel's bar, told her she was attractive ... and then asked her "whether she knew anything about having a 'big Black man inside of [her].'" In the docs, the woman said when others intervened after they noticed her being uncomfortable with the 57-year-old, "Irvin then stated that he would come back to find her sometime that week when she was working."

According to the documents, the woman reported the interaction to her coworkers and management the next day. The NFL was soon made aware of the allegations, and Irvin was removed from his role as an analyst for the league's network a short time later.

For his part, Irvin has adamantly denied any wrongdoing in the case ... calling the whole situation "sickening."

"This takes me back to a time where a white woman would accuse a Black man of something and they would take a bunch of guys that were above the law, run in the barn, put a rope around his foot and drag him through the mud and hang him by the tree," he said.

McCathern, meanwhile, said footage released to him by Marriott showed the encounter between Irvin and his accuser was completely innocuous.

"She never acts upset," McCathern said of the woman's apparent demeanor on the video. "She doesn't act like there's any problems at all."

"The Bachelorette" alum Tyler Cameron is gettin' candid about a time in his life when he was really in an odd place -- freshly famous, dating one of the world's most popular supermodels ... but also nearly flat broke!!!

Tyler opened up about his money troubles on fellow Bachelor Nation star Jason Tartick's podcast, "Trading Secrets" -- he says he only had a couple hundred bucks while dating Gigi Hadid back in 2019.

He even reveals he'd have to call his dad for extra cash while going on dates in NYC ... adding he didn't even have a credit card at the time, and would just hope for the best.

Tyler and Gigi were first linked shortly after he starred on the 15th season of the reality dating show -- he'd even been nominated for a People's Choice Award, so he clearly had celeb status.

Apparently, you can't have it all, after all.

As we reported, Tyler moved into a swanky condo in NYC shortly after their 2019 split ... talk about poor timing.

The new crib cost him around $7K per month, but the building came with some sweet perks like a bowling alley, golf simulator and even a theater room.

As we now know, Tyler's modeling career started taking off. Good thing, or it sounds like he'd be hitting up his pops to cover that hefty rent.

The famed Tom Brady-autographed U.S. flag at the center of a lawsuit with the Patriots Hall of Fame last year can now be all yours -- if you've got some DEEP pockets.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the stars and stripes that Brady signed and then re-signed following a man's dispute with New England's HOF in 2021 is going up for sale on eBay later this month -- and its starting price tag is $299,999.

Unclear what it's ultimately expected to sell for ... but we're told the profits will go to a good cause nonetheless.

Dan Vitale -- the owner of the flag who feuded with Patriots officials after he alleged they ruined the item after putting it on display at the team's HOF -- is donating a portion of the proceeds to the Behavioral Health and Developmental Services of Strafford County, Inc. -- a non-profit whose goal is to help those with autism. Vitale says the rest of the funds will go into a trust for his daughter, who has autism.

When it eventually sells, the new owner of the flag will be getting a sweet piece of Brady memorabilia -- one that has quite the story attached to it too.

As we reported, it initially flew over Foxboro Stadium during a New England vs Miami game in '01 -- the same year Brady first took over as Patriots starter. Brady then signed it years later.

Vitale ultimately bought it and handed it off to the Pats Hall of Fame to display it -- but he claims officials there caused the signature to fade when they improperly took care of it. He sued in 2022, alleging their mistakes decreased the value of the piece by $1 million.

Brady, though, came to the rescue ... re-signing it in big, black ink following the Buccaneers vs. Seahawks game last year. Vitale said he was stoked with the new signature -- and believed it was worth over $1 mil again.

“While the flag holds a lot of value to me personally," Vitale said, "I could not be more thrilled to auction it on eBay so another collector can own this rare piece of sports history and in the process, support those with autism -- including my youngest daughter.”

Bidding on the item begins on March 23 ... and will end on April 1.

Good luck!!!

Megan Thee Stallion had no regrets admitting she pinged Beyoncé for the favor of all favors in 2023 ... tickets to the highly anticipated Renaissance Tour, which had fans debating taking out bank loans when they saw the prices.

A gushing Meg relayed to ET at Sunday's Vanity Fair party that she actually dialed up Beyoncé directly for access to the hot-ticketed event but didn't want to reveal why she was actually going to the show.

She later quipped how Beyoncé was her "auntie" and looked forward to seeing her later at the megastar's after-party at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood.

Meg and Bey may not share blood, but the Houston-bred stars won Grammy gold together with 2020's "Savage" collab, and Meg is a key component of Jay-Z's Roc Nation music arm.

Beyonce finally answered her loyal fans' prayers after finally revealing her Renaissance Tour dates back in February ... but not without stipulations like signing up for her Verified Fan service and ticket prices, which Billboard says you'll need around $300 just to get a "decent" seat!!!

Sunday's festivities marked Meg's first public appearance since the draining Tory Lanez shooting trial ... but she appears to be back in full force.

Peyton Manning's giving his top 10 list -- but it's got nothing to do with quarterbacks, or even football -- the Hall of Famer's revealing the greatest business minds in history, as the legendary signal-caller sees it.

The list is part of an episode from Manning's new History channel show, History’s Greatest of All Time with Peyton Manning ... where the 46-year-old 2x Super Bowl champ was asked to name his top 10 "titans."

"How does someone get to be known as a titan of their industry? To start from nothing and go all in on pocket aces before the dealer even lays down. Whatever there failed, these men and women share one thing. They risked a lot to change the world," Peyton said.

"First up, someone who has built an empire on showing that upscale casual living is a good thing. Kicking off our countdown, the woman who taught us how to fold a fitted sheet."

10) Martha Stewart
9) Ted Turner
8) Oprah Winfrey
7) JP Morgan
6) Jeff Bezos
5) Andrew Carnegie
4) John D. Rockefeller
3) Walt Disney
2) Henry Ford
1) Steve Jobs

As you can see, the list features a mix of not only present, but also past titans of industry ... from banking to automotive magnates, to the creator of the iPhone.

Speaking of the mobile phone that forever changed the world, Jobs -- who passed away in 2011 -- earned the top spot on Peyton's list.

Talk about putting your money where your mouth is ... a fan just spent over $13K on a card that was signed and kissed by Paige VanZant!

The first edition card hit auction last week on eBay ... and after 102 bids, the 1-of-1 sold for exactly $13,200, and the Bare Knuckle FC boxer was hyped!

"Thank you to everyone who bid," the 28-year-old said on Monday via Instagram. "This was a really cool experience for me ♥"

The card is pretty sweet ... it features a photo of VanZant in her boxing gear with a pink lip print and she proves the kiss was from her lips by sharing a picture of her kissing the card.

She also signed it with her name and "XOXO".

The whole idea was to help launch her husband, Bellator star Austin Vanderford's new shop where you can buy, sell, and/or trade sports cards.

"Go bid while you can and take a look at everything he’s got for sale if your into football cards :) And follow @vanderford_cards for new listings," VanZant said.

Of course, if you follow the couple, you know they support each other in a big way ... ever since getting married in 2018.

"Oh the places we have been," VanZant said in a recent IG video of Austin. "And oh the places we will go. ❤️ @austinvanderford"

GloRilla and Finesse2tymes appear destined for a legal battle over that tragic stampede at their New York concert -- the family of one of the three people who died says they're lawyering up.

Brandy Miller was trampled to death in the chaos that followed the rappers' ill-fated Rochester show earlier this month ... and her sister, Michelle, tells us the family plans to sue Glo and Finesse2tymes, plus the promoters and Main Street Armory.

Michelle says her fam is in the process of retaining an attorney -- they've spoken to several since Brandy was pronounced dead on Monday, and aim to retain someone who's high profile  ... because the family "has no plans to back down."

Finesse and GloRilla had reportedly left the venue before the stampede. They've both expressed how devastated they are about the tragedy, and it doesn't appear either artist is under criminal investigation for the incident at this time.

When TMZ Hip Hop got Finesse in NYC this week, he scoffed at the idea he might be blamed, and flat-out told us he wasn't worried about potential lawsuits.

Silicon Valley Bank collapsed this week, forcing the feds to step in and take over -- which is now having a ripple effect across the country ... and manifesting in a lot of fear nationwide.

ICYMI ... the FDIC took over SVB's operations Friday due to mass withdrawals that were happening among their many clients -- this after just about everyone got spooked by word of them trying to shore up more capital amid concerning investments (mortgage-backed securities and whatnot) that they'd made of late, which are starting to backfire/come due.

As a result, folks started to yank their cash out of the bank all at once ... which translates to a good old-fashioned bank run -- like the ones we saw during the Great Depression.

Some photos/video are starting to circulate on the internet, and the lines forming outside of SVB branches -- especially in the Bay Area, where they're mostly headquartered -- are quite startling. People are obviously flocking to try and recoup their money, but it might be too late at this point ... once the FDIC gets involved, a queue is formed -- and there's only a handful of guarantees they can make under federal law. The key figure, of course, is $250k.

The FDIC insures up to $250,000 for any given depositor in federally protected banks -- anything more than that isn't promised back though ... and reports indicate much of SVB's clientele -- typically steeped in the tech startup world, who often have boatloads of assets deposited -- might have way more than just that ... which may be lost when the dust settles.

On top of this, there are now reports of Wells Fargo accounts freezing for people who are trying to withdraw and transfer funds. Bank of America is also getting swept up in this -- both are trending, with a lot of Twitter users suggesting everyone get their cash out ASAP.

WF cited a "technical issue" their customers might be experiencing, but are saying not to panic. BoA's been quiet so far, but it also doesn't sound like anything concrete has happened just yet in their court -- just speculation/forecasts of things to possibly come.

Edwin Castro, the recent winner of the $2.04 billion Powerball prize, grew up in Los Angeles and was once a prominent Boy Scout and high school athlete ... TMZ has learned.

Our sources tell us 30-year-old Edwin rose all the way to Eagle Scout during his time in the scouts, and he attended Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, CA ... not far from Joe's Service Center in Altadena, where he purchased the winning lottery ticket.

In addition to being a Boy Scout, we're told Edwin played football and baseball in high school ... our sources say he grew up in a "wholesome family" that frequently took fishing trips.

Our sources say Edwin, who studied architecture at Woodbury University in Burbank, is a quiet guy with a kind heart.

Since striking it rich, Edwin's already used some of his new money to buy a swanky $25.5 million pad in the Hollywood Hills ... one month after claiming his lump sum payment of $997,600,000 before taxes.

Edwin's new crib has all the bells and whistles, including a home gym, garage parking for seven cars and a motor court ... and we're told he has a passion for classic cars and fitness.

As we reported, Edwin was being sued by a man who claimed the winning lotto ticket was actually stolen, claiming Edwin was involved in the alleged theft ... but the lottery says they have the utmost confidence Edwin's the rightful winner.

One source told us, "Winning the lotto couldn't have happened to a better guy."