Money

A ball Patrick Mahomes signed back in high school is hitting the auction block ... and check out the signature -- the NFL superstar had a John Hancock like a pro even as a teenager!!

TMZ Sports has learned the K.C. Chiefs QB put pen to ball back in 2013 ... and now, it's the earliest Mahomes auto EVER to go up for auction.

We're told the story behind the ball is pretty special ... the guys at Lelands say Mahomes and his entire Whitehouse H.S. Wildcats baseball team in Texas signed it for a boy who was battling Leukemia.

Leland's reps say the boy threw out the first pitch at one of the team's games (with Mahomes catching it) -- and later, the kid got the whole team to sign it.

Check out the piece ... in the sweet spot, "2013 Whitehouse Wildcats" is handwritten. Just above it is Mahomes' auto, which features his signature with the "#5."

21 of Mahomes' other high school teammates also signed the ball.

Unclear what it's ultimately expected to fetch -- it is awfully hard to price such a unique item, after all -- but bidding has started at $500.

And, if that price sounds crazy ... consider this -- a ball signed by a teenage Michael Jordan in 1976 just sold this year at auction for $36,000!!!

Accused killer Kyle Rittenhouse got some help from a few famous people this week, and as a result, he's free on bail.

Ricky Schroder made a "significant contribution" which led to Rittenhouse posting $2 million cash bail ... this according to Rittenhouse's famed lawyer, Lin Wood. We're told Schroder contributed $150,000 to the bail fund.

Wood posted a photo of his client and Schroder, saying, "Thank you, All Donors. Thank you, All Patriots. Thank God Almighty."

In addition to Schroder, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell also donated and attorney Wood thanked both Schroder and Lindell for "putting us over the top." We're told Lindell donated $50,000.

Forget fancy dinners with escargot ... there's a ton of free chicken nuggets waiting to be scarfed down by Charli and Dixie D'Amelio!!!

Here's the deal ... the TikTok stars almost got canceled after a million followers jumped ship following a family dinner that saw the sisters being bratty about the menu, specifically the snails. So, now they're getting what they really want ... dino nuggets!!!

The fine folks behind Charli and Dixie's preferred grub, Yummy Dino Buddies, tell TMZ ... they've seen the infamous clip of Dixie throwing up her escargot and Charli asking for dino nuggets instead, so they're hooking up the girls with coupons for the dinosaur-shaped nuggets!!!

The free nuggets are nice, but that's not all Charli and Dixie have coming -- we're told they're also getting Yummy Dino Buddies swag.

See kids ... if you complain about your private chef's food and act like a brat at the dinner table for the whole world to see, you get free stuff!!!

Another sports card collector just hit the JACKPOT -- pulling a rare 1-of-1 LeBron James jersey card ... and he's already getting some huge offers to sell!

It all went down Thursday night at Jaspy's Case Breaks card shop in Hermosa Beach, CA -- which was hosting a "live break" of a box of 2019-20 Panini Immaculate Premium Edition cards.

Each individual box runs about $2,500 -- and contains ONE pack with SIX cards. High stakes card collecting!!!

Jaspy's was hosting an event where collectors could buy rights to cards based on an NBA team -- for example, you could buy the Houston Rockets for $100 and any card pulled featuring a player on the Rockets would belong to you.

Huge upside, but if the pack contains no Rockets players, you get nothing. Get it? Great.

In this case, a collector purchased the rights to the Lakers cards for $70 -- and man, BEST $70 INVESTMENT EVER!!

During Thursday's live break, Jaspy's staffer Joe pulled the holy grail from the set ... a LeBron game-used jersey card from LBJ's championship run with the Lake Show!!!

The guys at the shop went crazy -- and the collector who was watching virtually quickly realized they had something special!

We spoke with Erick Mitchell -- high-end card expert and card broker -- who tells us he was getting hit up by clients making big offers (from $50k to $75k) in the hours after the pull!

We're told the lucky fan hasn't sold the card yet -- instead, he wants to put it up for auction, where experts believe it could fetch more than $100,000!!!

So, who buys these kinds of cards?

Mitchell told us there are a handful of high-end LeBron "super-collectors" who pounce on anything they can ... price is no object.

As we previously reported, there's been a surge of interest in high-end cards lately ... even Rob Kardashian is getting in on the craze.

The "thirsty bitches" are back!!! Netflix has given "Selling Sunset" the green light for seasons 4-5 ... and even though stars Brett Oppenheim and Davina Potratz left the brokerage firm for greener pastures, cameras will still be rolling on their pretty mugs.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Brett and Davina will be part of the hit series when season 4 filming gets underway in Spring 2021 despite Brett leaving the family biz to start his own shop and Davina bolting last month to rival Douglas Elliman in Beverly Hills.

It's unclear if cameras will be following them inside their new joints but one thing's for sure ... our sources say cameras will continue to follow their storylines, which is mostly tame when it comes to Brett but definitely fiery -- and even catty -- as it relates to Davina. For the newbies ... she's usually the center of the drama revolving the gorgeous real estate agents, but the drama -- and the fake drama alike -- is definitely NOT exclusive to Davina.

Speaking of the ladies ... Christine Quinn -- who back in September referred to the cast as "thirsty bitches" -- and the rest of the gang are all back. We're told Christine, Chrishell Stause, Mary Fitzgerald, Maya Vander, Heather Rae Young and Amanza Smith ... along with Jason Oppenheim and Mary's beau, Romain Bonnet, all finalized their deals last week.

The "Double Fantasy" album John Lennon signed for Mark David Chapman hours before Chapman assassinated him is hitting the auction block ... and is expected to haul in up to 2 million bucks.

The macabre piece of rock 'n' roll history features Lennon's signature in blue ink on the album cover art ... a photo of Lennon and Yoko Ono. He signed his name on Yoko's neck along with his "1980" inscription.

"Double Fantasy" was the fifth album released by John and Yoko, and was released the month before he was shot and killed on December 8, 1980, as he was walking into his home at The Dakota in NYC.

Chapman had waited outside the building with a copy of the album to score Lennon's autograph around 5:50 PM as he and Yoko were on their way to a studio. Chapman was still waiting at 10:50 PM when the couple returned ... and shot Lennon four times in the back.

As you can see ... there are other markings on the front and back of the album. Those were made by law enforcement, as it was a key piece of police evidence from the scene of the crime. Chapman had put the album in one of the planters outside The Dakota after Lennon signed it.

When cops arrived, Chapman was found casually reading a copy of "The Catcher in the Rye," and told police he killed Lennon because he was so famous. The murderer was recently denied parole for the 11th time.

"I have no plans to continue fighting."

That's Khabib Nurmagomedov saying pretty matter of factly he will NOT return to the octagon ... despite UFC boss Dana White suggesting otherwise.

"There will always be rumors about my comeback," Khabib said this week ... "because Dana White or other promoters who could replace him in the future will always want me to fight."

He's right -- Khabib is one of the biggest combat sports stars in the world ... dominating everyone from Conor McGregor to Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.

But, Khabib has insisted he's lost the desire to compete again and wants to focus on his career outside the octagon.

"Of course, I am in my prime and there’s still tons of money I could earn, but I had a different goal," Khabib says.

"And, as for money -- from now on we will earn it somewhere else."

Dana White has been saying for weeks -- and again during an interview we shot on Thursday -- that he strongly believes Khabib will come back for a 30th fight. He's even considering opponents for Khabib.

But, Khabib insists he's done for good -- saying there's nobody else out there for him to fight.

Think COVID could stop Russell Westbrook from helping out some families in need during the holiday? HELL NO!!

The NBA superstar grabbed some masks, gloves and sanitizer and hit the streets of L.A. on Thursday for his annual Thanksgiving dinner giveaway ... with some minor adjustments to keep everyone safe!

Westbrook's Why Not? Foundation teamed up with the L.A. Regional Food Bank and others to host a drive-thru event at Jesse Owens Park ... where all volunteers were decked out in PPE to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

It's the 9th year of Westbrook's food event -- but due to the pandemic, he had to make some changes this time around -- a challenge he happily met.

"This year is a little different with COVID and everything going on in our society," Russell said ... "But I'm thankful to be here to be able to give back to so many families."

He later added on Twitter, "Things are challenging right now & people are struggling. This is why it is more important than ever for me to support my community any way I can while keeping everyone safe."

Gordon Ramsay did more than send "MasterChef Junior" star Ben Watkins well wishes when he was battling an extremely rare cancer ... he tried to help him get the best treatment possible too.

The TV chef quietly donated $50,000 to Ben in August to help cover the medical costs associated with his battle with cancer ... according to sources close to the situation.

This was right around the time Ramsay and Ben's fellow season 6 competitors sent him a heart-warming video, letting him know they were praying for him and helping raise money with a GoFundMe.

It's no secret Ramsay and the 'MasterChef' community were very fond of the 14-year-old, and we're told the reality cooking show is currently trying to come up with a way to honor him after his passing. Also, that GoFundMe is now at over $200k, and will be used to support his family.

As we reported ... Ben died Monday from Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma. He was diagnosed when he was 13, about 2 years after he competed on the Ramsay-hosted show and quickly became a fan favorite.

What's the first thing you'd go out and buy if you were the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft????

That's something Greg Oden knows about -- he was top pick in 2007 -- and admits he blew his first paycheck on a really bad purchase!!

Now, Oden -- who's an athlete advisor for a financial company -- is telling TMZ Sports his story in hopes of helping players in the 2020 NBA Draft class avoid making the same mistakes!

TMZ Sports: "What advice would you give to these guys who are instantly becoming millionaires?"

Greg Oden: "I will say you are instantly in debt right now!"

What Greg means is players don't realize they already have a long list of people they have to pay -- from trainers to agents, rent, car bills and -- most importantly -- taxes ... and he says that can all lead to serious financial trouble for guys who aren't responsible from the get-go.

"What everybody thinks you make is definitely not what you're actually going to make," Oden says.

So, Greg's advice? "Get experts in your corner. Get people that you trust."

Oden says financial advisors, lawyers and CPAs are all great investments that can help players avoid the perils of future money problems.

And, Greg -- who's job at Edyoucore is specifically to help people in the sports and entertainment realm with their cash -- says he's down to assist some of these dudes!

"I wasn't able to do it on the court," Oden says, "but, right now, all the knowledge, all my experiences that I've been through, I'm definitely here to help out a lot of these guys."

By the way, Oden's also doing some other really cool stuff in retirement ... he's participating in a charity event with his wife this weekend to help needy families have a wonderful holiday meal.

Oh, and Greg tells us he's even been getting in a little basketball training too!

Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B have more in common than 'WAP' ... they can now both boast massively successful clothing lines with Fashion Nova.

Meg's new 106-piece collection -- which goes heavy on the denim -- raked in $1.2 million in sales in the first 24 hours ... according to sources connected to the retail company.

This is slightly more than Cardi hauled in with her Spring 2019 collection, but we're told it's because Fashion Nova anticipated high demand after Cardi's styles sold out so quickly ... so it had more product on hand for Meg's line.

MTS announced the launch of her collection -- which she says is for "all the hotties out there" and fits bodies of all shapes and sizes -- with a series of fire photos of herself and other women modeling the various styles of jeans available.

Along with premium denim, Meg's collection includes luxe corset bodysuits and tops with matching dresses and plush outerwear ... with prices of the items ranging from $24.99 to $199.99.

Holly Madison is gonna loooove this ... her BF, Zak Bagans, just dropped a fat stack on the famous clown from "Poltergeist," and wants to keep it in his bedroom!!!

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... he threw down a cool $80,000 at an auction, and snagged the original clown prop doll from the 1980s classic horror film.

The doll's supposedly cursed -- 4 cast members died either during or soon after filming. That folklore explains why Zak's been trying to buy the clown for over a decade.

It was previously on display at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Now that he's finally got it, Zak thinks his bedroom's the perfect place for a test spin. Although, he plans to eventually display it at his Haunted Museum.

The movie prop was used in the unforgettable scene when Oliver Robins' character, little Robbie Freeling, gets attacked by the clown doll in his bedroom.

"I’m so over it. I’m so over living in a dictatorship we call Michigan."

That's Kelly Stafford -- wife of Detroit Lions QB Matt Stafford -- railing against the COVID-19 restrictions in the state of Michigan ... claiming another shutdown will make things worse for everybody.

"I understand there’s a pandemic, and I understand it’s very scary. I’m scared of it too. If you are at risk, do not leave your house until there’s a vaccine," Stafford said Thursday.

"But, shutting down all these small businesses, things that people have worked their life for, shutting them down again is not the answer. Because they will not make it."

Stafford continued, "So, once we are able to leave our house, once this dictatorship decides to let us have some freedom, there will be nothing left. I’m just over it. I see all these people and it brings me to tears."

Stafford is referring to new restrictions that Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on Sunday ... detailing a new round of closures and other measures to reduce the spread of the virus.

Stafford immediately received backlash for referring to Michigan as a dictatorship ... and issued an apology a short time later, saying, "Should never have used the word 'dictatorship.' I got caught up in the heat of the moment, that is my fault."

"I care about the people who are losing their lives or battling this ... and also the medical staff who care for them. And, it is hard knowing these local business owners and watching them struggle and having to lay off their employees, not knowing how they are gonna make it."

Stafford says she loves Michigan and didn't mean to let her emotions get the best of her.

The Staffords have had a tough time during the pandemic -- Kelly recently revealed their youngest daughter was hospitalized for a concussion after falling out of her high chair.

The mystery person who snatched up Carson Palmer's insane Del Mar mansion for $18 MIL has been revealed -- and shocker, it's a rich guy!!!!

Earlier this year, the former NFL quarterback sold the incredible 6,580-square-foot mansion he custom-built back in 2015 ... but nobody seemed to know the identity of the buyer, until now.

Enter Bill Maris ... a super successful tech investor who famously founded Google Ventures back in 2009.

Maris now runs his own venture fund in San Diego -- and was clearly looking for a badass place to settle down.

So, when he saw the unreal modern pad that Palmer built ... he pounced (according to Variety) -- and once you look at the pics, it's pretty obvious why he had to have it.

The modern-styled crib is wild -- it's got incredible views of the ocean, outdoor kitchen, infinity pool, spa, rooftop deck ... and even a bocce ball court!!

And, hopefully, Maris likes whips, 'cause the place has a 10-car garage!!

The whole mansion -- listed by Rande Turner of Ranch and Coast Real Estate -- is decked out in the latest tech ... with all the lights, sound and security systems controlled with a hand-held device.

Palmer famously moved to Idaho after he retired from the NFL in 2017 -- turning down TV and coaching opportunities to live the quiet life with his family.

Don't worry about Carson's bank account -- the 40-year-old reportedly made more than $174 million in contract money during his 15-year NFL career.

Jay-Z is getting into the fitness equipment game just like his wife ... he's investing in a startup that aims to rival Beyonce's partner, Peloton.

The entertainment mogul is pumping some of his billion-dollar fortune into CLMBR, which is about to launch its 2 flagship products ... a pair of vertical climbing machines.

Jay-Z's not the only celeb who sees an opportunity to make a buck with CLMBR ... Novak Djokovic, the top men's tennis player in the world, is also investing. Jay and Bey's longtime fitness consultant, Marco Borges, is on board too, plus YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley.

CLMBR sounds a lot like Peloton, only instead of riding a bike it simulates vertical climbing. It's supposed to be good for the back, and CLMBR's machines are the first featuring touch displays and on-demand classes with instructors.

At-home fitness equipment is all the rage with most gyms and fitness centers across the globe shuttered due to the pandemic. Bey recently teamed up with Peloton ... which boosted its stock.

WHAT A NIGHT FOR ISAAC OKORO!!!

Not only does he go #5 overall at the NBA Draft, but then he surprises his parents with a new Range Rover -- and the video is amazing!!

The former Auburn star was celebrating at a Draft party with close family and friends Wednesday night -- and after the Cleveland Cavs called his name with the #5 pick, he walked his parents outside to present them with a little gift.

Waiting out front was a brand new Range Rover with a giant red bow -- and 19-year-old Okoro proudly told his dad, "This is for you!"

His parents could hardly believe it -- and they all proceeded to share an emotional embrace as they took in the moment.

Okoro is reportedly expected to sign a 4-year deal with the Cavs worth $29.1 million -- with $13.1 in guaranteed money.

So, yeah ... he can afford it.

Congrats!!!