Money

Alex Ovechkin's wallet is now $5,000 lighter ... the NHL just hit him with a fine after it says he "speared" a Boston player in the man junk during their game Wednesday night.

Ovi and Bruins winger Trent Frederic went after each other often during the Washington Capitals' tilt with Boston ... with Frederic even challenging the NHL legend to a fight at one point mid-game.

35-year-old Ovechkin declined the scrap ... but the drama didn't end there, 'cause later in the night in the 3rd period, Frederic tried to get under Ovi's skin once again.

The Bruins' 23-year-old stole a puck from Ovechkin and then cross-checked him with his stick several times.

The Caps superstar eventually had enough, and slashed the hell out of Frederic's groin!!!

Both players were hit with penalties for the incident ... each being forced to sit for 2 minutes.

The NHL clearly felt Ovi's penalty, though, needed more ... with the league slapping him with a fine Thursday morning, explaining the dollar amount was "the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement."

All in all, it was probably worth it for Ovechkin -- dude's made over $120 MILLION in his NHL career AND his team came out with the 2-1, shootout win.

Elon Musk hasn't taken over the world yet but, for now, he'll settle on taking over a piece of Texas ... 'cause he approached officials about founding his own city and calling it Starbase.

The Tesla chief and SpaceX honcho is so serious ... he hit up Cameron County, Texas officials about incorporating the City of Starbase, Texas. It's familiar territory for him ... SpaceX has a private launch site and rocket production facility there.

The idea is ...the rocket man will expand the unincorporated region currently known as Boca Chica Village. His plans aren't all that far-fetched ... county judge Eddie Treviño, Jr. has now weighed in, saying, "If SpaceX and Elon Musk would like to pursue down this path, they must abide by all state incorporation statutes. Cameron County will process any appropriate petitions in conformity with applicable law."

That's politics talk for ... go for it, but you'll play by our rules. Elon's ambitions know no bounds. He previously tweeted about founding Starbase ... adding the town's leader "shall be The Doge" ... a nod to the cryptocurrency DogeCoin he backed last month.

Elon's slowly but surely making his mark in the Lone Star State. For starters, he said last December he was moving from California to Texas ... and SpaceX has other facilities in Brownsville and McGregor.

What's more ... his company reportedly wants to break ground on a new manufacturing facility in Austin ... and his other company, The Boring Company, went on a hiring spree in the Austin area back in November.

If you wanna be Donald Trump's neighbor, the family's unloading a Palm Beach pad that comes with entry to Mar-a-Lago -- but normie MAGA supporters need not apply.

An LLC linked to the former President has listed this yuuuuuge 10,455-square-foot home for $49 million. The beachfront, half-acre property comes with the coveted Ocean Blvd address, 8 bedrooms, 8.5 bathrooms and, of course, sweeping ocean views.

It's right across the street from Mar-a-Lago -- IF rubbing elbows with 45 is your thing -- and the buyer gets membership to the club. However, signs in the sky are not included.

Guy Clark, a real estate agent with Douglas Elliman, told Bloomberg, "Because of its proximity and its lack of privacy, it would probably be a difficult thing to sell to someone who's not a Trump supporter."

Know your market, for sure.

Grindr founder Joel Simkhai just matched with the perfect penthouse ... scooping up a beaut in NYC's Gramercy Park.

Joel's reportedly the proud new owner of a 7,000-square-foot penthouse with 5 bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms ... but the crown jewel's definitely the gigantic private, landscaped roof terrace that, on its own, is a whopping 5,680 square feet.

As if things couldn't get any better up there ... the terrace also includes a full outdoor kitchen, BBQ grill, wet bar, fireplace and lounge. When the party moves back inside, the unit features 18-foot ceilings and a kitchen worthy of any celeb chef. There are other amenities ... like a gym, spa and pool.

Tekashi 6ix9ine had a forcefield of protection around him in late 2018 -- shortly before he was locked up -- but forgot to pay the people guarding him ... so claims a security company in a new lawsuit.

69 is being sued by Metropolitan Patrol, which claims it provided protection for the guy ... including 11 days in November 2018. Part of that time Tekashi was in L.A. rolling deep with bodyguards, as seen in pics.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Metropolitan Patrol says Tekashi signed a contract with them in which they agreed to provide round-the-clock armed security. The lawsuit even includes a detailed schedule of shifts they claim to have worked work.

It looks like the rate was $85/hour during the day, while the late-night shifts cost $127.50/hour.

MP also claims it provided him armored vehicles ... namely, a fully-loaded Yukon with ballistic panels and 2 police-style Ford Explorers complete with lights, sirens, everything.

All in all, Metropolitan says Tekashi's tab came to a little over $75k for the job -- but when it came time to pay up, they claim he simply refused to fork over the money. Now, they want a judge to step in.

Metropolitan wants what they say they’re owed on the contract plus late fees and legal fees that have added up ... in total, they're asking for north of $88k.

A former Texas Longhorns safety says several rich alums gave players an ultimatum over the school's polarizing alma mater -- support the song, or never find work in the state.

UT's alma mater, "The Eyes Of Texas," has been at the center of controversy for years ... with many calling for the school to distance itself from the song's apparently racist origins.

In fact, almost every player on the Texas football team boycotted the song in 2020 ... by heading to the locker rooms while "The Eyes" played after UT's loss to Oklahoma in October.

Texas defensive back Caden Sterns says the debate got so serious, he and his teammates were told to support the song or risk future employment in the state by rich alums.

"My teammates and I got threatened by some alumni that we would have to find jobs outside of Texas if we didn’t participate," Sterns tweeted Monday.

Sterns' claim comes on the heels of a new report, which stated wealthy boosters were so pissed off by the players' boycott, they threatened to pull their 7-figure donations in scathing emails sent to the school, according to the Texas Tribune.

For example, one donor allegedly wrote the following email back in October ... "My wife and I have given an endowment in excess of $1 million to athletics. This could very easily be rescinded if things don’t drastically change around here."

"Has everyone become oblivious of who supports athletics??"

Wanna live like a King? You can buy the enormous Brentwood mansion LeBron James called home ... if you're willing to drop $20 mil!

The NBA superstar has listed the 9,500-square-foot estate he purchased back in 2015 -- a colonial-style mansion on Rockingham Ave.

And, if that street sounds familiar ... it's because of the O.J. Simpson connection.

Bron's home is actually just a few blocks from the infamous Rockingham estate where O.J. lived when Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were murdered in 1994.

Unfortunately, that's not the only sad connection to Bron's home ... remember, someone spray painted the n-word on the front gate of Bron's home back in 2017.

As for the home itself, it's incredible -- 6 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a media room, home gym, massive pool and a basketball hoop near the garage!

Oh, and the views are absolutely insane!!! Listing price -- $20,500,000 ... which is LESS than he paid in 2015.

Records show he bought the house for $20.9 mil. But, let's get serious, it's not like Bron needs the money -- he's reportedly worth close to (if not more than) $1 BILLION.

Angelina Jolie has parted ways with a very unique painting by one Sir Winston Churchill ... fetching her a whopping $11.5 million at auction.

Christie's in London sold the Moroccan landscape painting Monday for a cool $11,590,715. The actress, who along with Brad Pitt bought it in 2011, had a rare piece of art ... it's believed to be the only wartime painting by the legendary Prime Minister of Great Britain.

The story goes ... Churchill painted the "Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque" after the January 1943 Casablanca Conference, where he and President Franklin D. Roosevelt planned how to defeat Nazi Germany. Churchill gave FDR the painting as a memento.

The painting itself's a beaut ... depicting a 12th-century mosque in Marrakech at sunset. The Atlas Mountains serve as the picturesque backdrop. The painting was later sold by Roosevelt's son after FDR died in 1945. The painting then went through several owners before Brad and Angelina got their hands on it.

Ellen DeGeneres buy-eth, and Ellen DeGeneres sell-eth ... the daytime talk show host's latest purchase is back on the market ... a home she bought from none other than Adam Levine.

The estate Ellen's trying to sell this time is one she bought from the Maroon 5 frontman back in 2019 -- which sits in a secluded, gated sanctuary in Bev Hills. It's a 2-story monster of a property ... covering about 10,000 square feet and fully loaded.

It's got a resort-style pool, an outdoor kitchen and pizza oven, a fire pit, a sunken tennis court, a built-in bar in the dining room, an indoor gym, a spa and a completely separate guest house.

You'll recall ... EDG and Portia De Rossi snapped up the crib from her good pal, AL, for a cool $45 million ... and is now listing it for a whopping $53.5 mil. If she gets her asking price, that's almost a $10 million profit in just two years!

Of course, this is just the latest real estate investment by Ellen and her wife, Portia, who own several homes. Unclear if they're looking to buy again in the area, but if not ... there's no shortage of places to stay nearby.

The estate is listed by celeb realtor Kurt Rappaport.

The woman alleging T.I. put a gun to her head and threatened to kill her is now claiming she's getting harassed because the rapper and his wife are smearing her name.

Sabrina Peterson's suing T.I. and Tiny for defamation, because according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... she says the couple's public statements and social media posts have smeared her good name ever since she made her allegation against T.I.

Peterson claims she got into an altercation with T.I.'s assistant, and T.I. responded by pointing a gun at her head and saying, "Bitch I'll kill you."

According to the docs ... shortly after making her allegation in January, Tiny retaliated by insulting her and posting a photo of Peterson's 8-year-old son to her millions of followers. Peterson says this exposed her son to "vitriol and danger."

T.I. and Tiny subsequently released statements denying a variety of sexual abuse allegations and other claims against them ... including specifically denying the claims made by Peterson.

Peterson claims being singled out -- along with allegedly being referenced in T.I.'s 8-minute video where he denies allegations and talks about "evil at play" -- has led to her receiving harassing and threatening messages on Instagram.

She's suing the couple for defamation and infliction of emotional distress. We reached out to T.I. ... no word back yet.

J.J. Watt is landing in Arizona -- the defensive end confirmed the move Monday in a deal reportedly worth $31 MILLION!!

The 31-year-old recently parted ways with the Houston Texans -- the team that selected him in the 1st round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

But, the Texans are a mess and Watt was clearly looking for an opportunity with a team built for immediate success.

There were rumblings J.J. was interested in signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where his two brothers T.J. and Derek Watt are currently playing.

But in the end, Watt has agreed to a 2-year, $31 million deal with the Cardinals with $23 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The Cardinals confirmed the move on social media -- "We have agreed to terms with J.J. Watt on a two-year contract."

The move brings J.J. to a team with a high-powered offense led by quarterback Kyler Murray and superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins.

Hopkins and Watt's were teammates in Houston for 7 years before DeAndre was shipped to AZ in one of the most puzzling trades of all time.

Now, Watt will bolster a defense that already includes stars like Chandler Jones and Budda Baker.

J.J. is already showing off his new team colors -- rockin' Cards swag in a gym session Monday morning.

Congrats!

The King of the Hail Mary is answering prayers in Northern California ... Aaron Rodgers just donated $1 MILLION to help struggling small businesses in the area where he grew up.

80 restaurants and retail businesses in Butte County, CA -- including Chico (Aaron's hometown) -- will receive funds from Aaron's massive 7-figure donation to help cover rent and other operating costs.

The goal is to float the businesses for the next 3 months -- and maybe even longer -- while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on.

"Small, locally owned businesses are the heart and soul of a community," Rodgers said in a statement Monday.

"In the applications and the videos, it was heart-wrenching to hear about all the obstacles facing restaurants and retail establishments. So many of them are struggling just to stay in business but remain hopeful that there’s an end to this."

Rogers made the donation in association with the North Valley Community Foundation -- which says the NFL star initially pledged $500k ... but DOUBLED his contribution "after seeing the need" in the community.

"Aaron is such an incredible person," NVCF President and CEO Alexa Benson-Valavanis said.

"He looked at everything, decided he wanted to do more, and doubled down on his original $500,000 commitment. He is such a champion for his hometown."

Aaron personally called 9 of the businesses to inform them about the donation -- which must have been a thrill in so many ways!!

Rodgers -- who has reportedly banked more than $240 million in contract money in his 16 NFL seasons -- has come through for Butte County in the past.

He donated $1 mil to help recovery efforts after the Camp Fire of 2018 -- and has also been involved in coronavirus and North Complex Fire relief efforts, according to the NVCF.

Bobby Shmurda just ripped a page out of his pal Rowdy Rebel's playbook ... copping a $100k chain that glows in the dark.

Rowdy Rebel hit up celeb jeweler Eric Da Jeweler to create something special that he could gift Bobby to celebrate finally getting out of prison. Eric came up with this beauty ... a pendant and chain encrusted with a whopping 75 carats of emerald-cut diamonds!!!

Talk about your name in lights ... all that ice spells out SHMURDA, with a glow-in-the-dark border outlining it.

We're told Eric gave it to Bobby right after he got out last week -- 'cause, as everybody knows, the fresh-outta-prison starter pack must include crazy bling.

As you might remember ... Rowdy Rebel's demon chain was waiting for him when he got out back in December. Eric was also the brains behind that chain ... which featured 50 carats of diamonds.

You're looking at the most expensive basketball card ever sold -- and it ain't Michael Jordan or LeBron James.

It's an ultra-rare Luka Doncic rookie card -- a 1-of-1 that features the NBA Logoman patch from a game-worn Dallas Mavericks jersey PLUS a perfect signature with blue ink.

And, it just sold for $4.6 MILLION!!!!

Here's the deal ... the card was originally pulled from a box of 2018-2019 Panini National Treasures Basketball in May 2019 during a live pack break at the Layton Sports Cards shop in Altamonte Springs, FL.

The card was later sold to collector Bolillo Lajan San (unclear what he paid, but more than $400k) who had a feeling the card could explode in value.

Well, he was right because on Sunday night, Bolillo confirmed the sale of the card to high-end collector Nick Fiorella for $4.6 million.

Here are the specifics ... it's a 2018-19 National Treasures Luka Doncic rookie autograph with the "Logoman" patch, #127.

The sale is the 2nd highest purchase of a sports trading card EVER -- just behind a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card that recently sold for $5.2 million!

Clocking in at #3 is a 2009 Mike Trout Superfractor that sold for $3.9 mil.

The classic white, ruffled shirt Prince wore in the climax of "Purple Rain" could be dripping off you ... IF you can pony up tens of thousands of dollars.

The iconic screen-worn wardrobe item is up for grabs, along with the rock legend's personally played and owned bright yellow Cloud Guitar, with a unique series of 18 black Prince symbols to the fretboard and top of the neck.

The guitar was custom-made for him with all the fitting flourishes in 1995. Both items -- the sexy shirt and the sleek guitar -- are expected to haul in at least $60,000 at auction.

There's more stuff fit for a Prince, too -- including the first pressing of "The Black Album," his stage-worn gold outfit from his "Jam of the Year Tour" and his "Essence" magazine photoshoot jacket ... all of which are expected to fetch more than $20k each.

Kobe Bryant’s childhood basketball hoop has sold for a King's ransom!

The hoop fetched $37,200 at Heritage Auctions, and it's truly prized memorabilia. It was attached to the garage at Kobe's childhood home in Pennsylvania ... it's the hoop Kobe used to help perfect his legendary jump shot.

As TMZ reported, the home sold recently for $810,000, but the seller wanted a premium for the backboard and the rim and the buyer wasn't interested. So, it was dismounted and the home seller just scored a sizable bounty.