Money

Kanye West turned out to be quite present throughout DMX's tributes this weekend -- and he'll continue to be ... because he's got a seven-figure gift for the man's family.

Sources close to Kanye tell us the custom DMX T-shirt designed by Balenciaga -- which was commissioned by the Yeezy brand and put up for sale Saturday as X's memorial got underway -- ended up cranking out huge profits quickly ... upwards of a million bucks.

Balenciaga had already said they'd be giving the net profits back to the fam -- but the fact those sales produced a million dollars is staggering. Then again, the shirt was retailing for $200 a pop ... so we suppose it makes sense. The DMX tribute shirt sold out in 24 hours.

There's another way Kanye got involved in Saturday's ceremony -- which Swizz Beatz actually alluded to during the event. Yes, we've heard Kanye and the Yeezy team did, in fact, design the stage where the Sunday Service choir performed, and where guests also spoke.

You might've noticed the elaborate set pieces at play -- the stage looked like an inverted pyramid ... or maybe even two. Our sources say Ye recruited renowned visual artist Akeem Smith to help with the layout ... and it looks like their joint efforts paid off, because it definitely made for quite a spectacle -- one that was worthy of DMX and his loved ones.

Just like most of us over the last year, the White House is leaning on Zoom to conduct meetings and get face time with folks amid the pandemic, but chances are President Biden's Zoomin' is MUCH more expensive than yours.

According to federal docs obtained by TMZ ... the Executive Office of the President has spent a little more than $422,000 on Zoom licensing fees since mid-January, right around the time Biden took office.

That might seem pretty hefty -- especially for those who mostly use Zoom for free or at a low cost to chat with family and friends ... but the licenses needed for the government to use Zoom, at the capacity required for the Prez, really add up.

As you might know ... Biden's been on Zoom a lot lately, including for the current virtual Global Climate Summit with dozens of other world leaders.

POTUS also swore in hundreds of federal appointees and staff via virtual Zoom ceremonies after his inauguration.

Former "American Idol" finalist Avalon Young has been through the wringer the past few months, and though she's staying strong and positive ... she needs help.

The singer's been diagnosed with brain cancer, telling TMZ a series of medical issues around Thanksgiving led to the discovery of a large brain tumor ... and a 16-hour surgery in February to remove it.

Avalon says it was gnarly, but she was hopeful after it was done she was getting better. Sadly, she was recently told there's still cancer in her brain, and she needs another surgery to remove what's left of the tumor ... along with undergoing radiation treatment.

Like we said though, Avalon's got a great attitude heading into her next procedure -- which is scheduled for May 27 -- but she desperately needs funds to cover the cost.

That's why she tells us the GoFundMe she set up is so important to her and her family, and hopefully ... this next surgery will get the job done, and she can get back to work.

Master P says he hammered out a multi-million dollar deal for his H.S. basketball-playing son ... and is simply waiting on an NCAA rule to change before putting pen to paper and making his kid a millionaire!!

TMZ Sports was talking to P and his 19-year-old son, Hercy Miller -- a top H.S. senior who just committed to play ball at Tennessee State -- when the hip-hop legend dropped the news.

"We have a lot of deals on the table, not only for Hercy, but for [son] Mercy. In August, the league is changing, the NCAA. You'll be able to make money off your likeness, you'll be able to do marketing deals," P says.

"So, right now I have a deal on the table for Hercy for $2.5 million. He never even played a lick of [college] basketball."

FYI, Hercy will be a college freshman this fall.

Historically, college athletes were forbidden from getting paid ... but all that started to change last year when the NCAA finally -- after immense outside pressure -- reversed course and threw support behind amateur athletes' ability to make money through endorsements.

P -- a business mogul who's made millions through music, fashion, movies, and everything in-between -- believes players will be allowed to start earning as early as this August ... and that's why he has a fat contract waiting for Hercy.

But, the future Tennessee State hooper isn't the only Miller boy getting the bag ... P says he has a $1 million deal on the table for his 15-year-old son, freshman B-ball star Mercy Miller.

The deals aren't yet signed ... so P didn't want to reveal the companies he's working with -- however, he did say Hercy's deal is centered around a product.

We also talked to P and Hercy about high school basketball stars hooping at HBCU's -- instead of traditional college basketball powerhouses -- a trend Hercy hopes to kickstart with his recent decision to play at Tenn. St.

"The game is changing," Master P says ... "I feel like now, a lot of high school kids are gonna start saying, 'I wanna go somewhere and make history, be a part of the moment and make a difference and also get to the league.'"

Jake Paul is trying to shame Dana White into ponying up BIG money by using an old clip of DW flippantly saying he'd bet a million bucks on Ben Askren ... but the video proves nothing.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer posted a series of snippets Saturday on his IG Story, showing he and Snoop Dogg are still trying to collect on a bet they insist Dana made over the boxing match from last weekend. In Jake's eyes, he's got the smoking gun to prove his case.

He resurfaced an interview Dana did on Mike Tyson's 'Hotboxin'' podcast -- in which he casually said he'd bet a million dollars that Askren would whoop Paul in the ring.

Since then -- and in light of Jake actually winning -- both he and Snoop have been demanding he fork over anywhere between 1 and 2 million dollars ... while Dana has denied ever making such a bet with them, specifically. Fact is, Dana seems to be right.

First off, this clip that Jake surfaced isn't new ... it's been out for a month now and everyone was well aware Dana said he'd throw down a mil. However, it seems like Jake/Snoop are the only ones who took it literally and for some reason ... think they're owed something.

There's also the fact that there's ZERO evidence suggesting Dana made a one-on-one bet with Snoop at any point ... not for a million, and not for two million. Dana has repeatedly denied doing so, even explaining that if he was gonna bet that big ... he'd do it in Vegas with better odds. So again, Jake's video doesn't appear to be anything more than a troll job.

Fact is ... harping on a hypothetical bet is a little absurd at this point. By the looks of it, Dana doesn't owe Jake or Snoop a dime ... so this social media campaign won't go anywhere.

Donald Trump shoulda called 1-800-NOBILLS, because his now-defunct campaign is being dunned by a bill collector after its client got royally stiffed.

The City of Albuquerque shelled out more than $200k for security-related costs associated with a 2019 campaign rally ... this according to The Hill. The City had blocked off City Hall, among other areas of town, and it required massive police presence, which forced the City to pay cops a bundle of OT. There were many other expenses as well.

The rally was held in the nearby city of Rio Rancho. A spokesperson for the City said campaign honchos told them from the jump they wouldn't cover the expenses, but now the matter has been referred to a debt collection agency.

The campaign has also stiffed the city of Rio Rancho to the tune of $239,475. And, Bernalillo County also sent the campaign an invoice for nearly $140,000, which has now been written off as a bad debt.

Apparently, some of the notices of delinquent payment were sent to Trump's doorstep at Mar-a-Lago.

This isn't the only case where the Trump campaign allegedly cut and run. The City of El Paso hired lawyers to try and recover more than half a mil for rally-related expenses for a 2019 rally.

Michael Lohan has been arrested again ... this time for allegedly getting illegal kickbacks from a rehab facility.

Lindsay Lohan's dad was taken into custody on 6 counts of illegal patient brokering ... this according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's website.

The 60-year-old allegedly cut deals where he referred drug addicts to a Florida facility and got money for each referral. According to authorities, "Patient brokering corrupts our health care system because decisions are motivated by greed instead of patient needs."

Lohan allegedly got checks totaling more than $25,000.

South Florida, where Lohan has been in the rehab biz for years, is considered the recovery capital of the world. Authorities say the prime patient is someone with good health insurance, so some recovery centers will give these kickbacks because the facility will in turn get paid through the insurance company.

Lohan has had his issues with the law in the past ... domestic violence and restraining order issues among others.

Paul Stanley is starting over ... he's demolishing his mansion in Bev Hills to make way for a brand new home, so he had an estate sale to get rid of EVERYTHING inside.

Paul unloaded tons of KISS merchandise ... the collectibles were displayed in his master bedroom.

We're told most of the band's merch still had the tags on, and folks were buying up all the KISS shirts, pins, license plates, cups and travel bags for anywhere between $15 and $50.

There were some pricier items too ... drinking glasses were going for upwards of $1,200, big French doors went for $900 a pop and Paul's couch went for over $2,000.

Paul's daughter, Emily, had a bunch of stickers on her bedroom door and it was up for grabs at $95.

Heck, Paul even put his lemon trees on sale ... as well as pots and planters starting around $400.

The estate sale went down last week, and by the weekend, pretty much everything had been sold ... so stuff was really flying out of the house.

Bengals star Tyler Boyd won't change into a swaggier jersey number this season ... he says even though he's allowed to now -- he ain't about to open up his wallet for it!!

The NFL passed a new rule this week that'll give skill position players like Boyd the ability to rock basically any digits they want for the 2021 season.

And, as a guy who currently wears a forgettable #83, Boyd seemed like a prime candidate to switch.

But, when the 26-year-old -- who wore #23 in college -- was leaving Catch on Thursday night ... he said point-blank he's sticking with the ocho tres.

"I'mma keep my same number, bro," the Cincinnati wideout said. "I'mma keep my s***. I'mma have to pay if I want to get my s*** changed!"

As for why Boyd would have to shell out coins to get a fancier number ... the league is forcing players to buy out the inventory of current unsold jerseys in order to make the switch.

The move could cost hundreds of thousands -- if not MILLIONS -- so, yeah, Boyd says he's sticking with his number for now.

L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn says the rest of the country needs to get on board with righting obvious wrongs ... just as L.A. is by returning a Black family's beachfront property, which was stolen from them almost 100 years ago.

Hahn joined "TMZ Live" Friday and explained why she led the effort to return the land -- known as Bruce's Beach in the city of Manhattan Beach -- to the descendants of Willa and Charles Bruce. The couple owned and operated a beach resort there in the 1920s.

A little history lesson first ... Willa and Charles bought the land in 1912 and created a beach resort catering to Black residents. Fast-forward to 1924, when the city used eminent domain to seize the property and force the resort out of business by 1929.

The land sat dormant for decades ... until a park was finally built in 1960 and eventually renamed Bruce's Beach. The Bruce family sued claiming they were victims of a racially motivated removal campaign.

Fast-forward to now and Hahn says the right thing to do was return the land to its rightful owners. It's interesting ... Hahn says she learned to swim in the ocean a couple of blocks from where Bruce's Beach is located and never knew about this injustice.

She believes it's the first time in our nation a government has given land back to an African-American family to make amends for past discriminatory policies.

Chicago Bears legend Steve McMichael -- who later became a pro wrestling star -- has been diagnosed with ALS and is already paralyzed from the shoulders down.

The 63-year-old -- who was a key part of the famous 1985 Bears championship team -- revealed the diagnosis to the Chicago Tribune ... admitting, "This ain't ever how I envisioned [my life] was going to end."

"Mongo" McMichael was a 5-time All-Pro during his 14-year NFL career and was named one of the 100 Greatest Chicago Bears of All Time.

He later became a star pro wrestler with a stint in the WWE in 1995 before moving over to WCW where he took on the likes of Bill Goldberg and Ric Flair.

Steve was diagnosed with ALS -- also known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- back in February ... and unfortunately, it's ravaging his body rather quickly.

ALS is an "always fatal" progressive neurodegenerative disease -- that essentially shuts down the body's ability to function. Average life expectancy is 2 to 5 years from diagnosis, according to ALS.org.

According to Steve's official GoFundMe page, Steve's wife Misty "feeds him and supports him with all hygiene needs."

Steve is losing function in his legs -- and the Chicago Bears actually bought him a special custom wheelchair to help him get around.

Despite his medical situation, McMichael is still cracking jokes about the diagnosis ... telling The Tribute, "I thought I was ready for anything. But man, this will sneak up on you like a cheap-shotting Green Bay Packer."

Rich the Kid's injecting his own stimulus package ... for those lucky enough to catch it on Rodeo Drive 'cause that's where he was making it rain.

The rapper pulled up in his expensive Rolls-Royce Phantom on Thursday right outside the Burberry and Louis Vuitton stores in Beverly Hills, where he started throwing wads of cash in the air. It wasn't long before a throng of fans -- of the rapper and money, of course -- showed up to catch it.

Our guy asks him how much he's throwing but it's hard to tell if RTK gives a direct answer. He wishes a woman happy birthday before pulling out another wad of bills.

Then, things get interesting ... for Rich, anyway.

You can see near the end of the video he's taking a selfie and 2 police motorcycles pull up behind him. RTK's driver takes off ... and the cops follow right behind him. We never saw the sirens and lights go on, but our law enforcement sources tell us Rich did end up getting a ticket ... for littering. That's gonna cost him a few more dollar bills -- minimum $250, max $1,000 for a first offense.

BTW ... Rich was definitely in a celebratory mood 'cause we're told he had just been inside the Patek Philippe store on the eve of dropping his new track, "Richard Mille Patek."

As for the Phantom, we're told it's a brand new model and around $600k. Rich was cruising around town with his buddy, RD Whittington, who owns celebrity auto and aircraft super-firm Wires Only ... so you gotta imagine he helped hook him up.

The L.A. frozen yogurt shop Demi Lovato called out over its sugar-free items is debunking the rumor she made amends with a large donation ... and it says it doesn't want one.

The Bigg Chill claims online messages and photos suggesting Demi donated $100k to the shop and wrote a private letter of apology for her behavior are fake and Photoshopped.

The fro-yo store adds ... "We have not heard anything from Demi since her 'sorry, not sorry' apology on Monday. We have not heard from her team." Finally, The Bigg Chill says it's not changing its menu ... and thanked everyone for their support.

As we reported ... the "Dancing with the Devil" artist picked a fight with the fro-yo shop over the weekend, publicly calling it out Saturday for its placement of sugar-free items, which she claims are triggering for folks with eating disorders.

After The Big Chill defended itself, Demi doubled down Monday by complaining about the store's "diet culture" cookies and dropping a "customer is always right" DM on them.

Ultimately, Demi sort of apologized for seemingly using her celeb status to take down a small business. She says that's not her intent, she just wanted to start a dialogue on the issue.

The infamous Palm Beach mansion where Jeffrey Epstein sexually assaulted many of his young victims has been reduced to rubble.

The demolition came 5 months after Florida real estate developer Todd Michael Glaser inked a deal to buy the waterfront property for $18.5 mil. He vowed to obliterate the 14,000 square-foot mansion.

Proceeds from the sale will go to a Victims' Compensation Program, which will distribute the funds to some of Epstein's victims. Epstein had been locked up in a Manhattan federal jail for sex trafficking when he killed himself behind bars back in August, 2019.

Palm Beach real estate broker Lawrence A. Moens told the Palm Beach Daily News he only got involved "to ensure it would be wiped off the map of Palm Beach."

Peloton's Tread+ treadmill is a killer machine ... literally, according to a new class-action lawsuit filed by a woman who claims the fitness equipment is utterly unsafe for anyone with kids ... or even pets.

In the suit, Shannon Albright says Peloton's $4,295 treadmill is marketed as a device that'll give you "Your hardest training session" on "Your softest road" thanks to a shock-absorbing belt that's built with 59 individual slats.

Shannon's issue is that, although Peloton does have warnings on the machine ... she feels they're not sufficient to alert customers to the true danger -- which is that the treadmill's design allegedly makes it "extremely susceptible" to children and pets getting trapped underneath the machine.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Albright claims some customers have had "children approach the machine, out of eyesight of the parent, and those children [have] been trapped and injured by the Tread+ machine.”

The lawsuit mentions at least one child has died as a result of the Tread+ ... and at least several dozen more have been injured. Albright claims injuries range from bruising and abrasion to broken bones, permanent brain injury and death.

What's more ... Albright claims Peloton has essentially ignored the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s warning that directs consumers to "stop using the Peloton Tread+ if there are small children or pets at home." There's even a video apparently showing 2 kids playing on the Tread+ and one child getting trapped.

Albright claims Peloton has known or should have known about its defective machine ... so she's trying to form a class action and is suing for more than $5 million in damages.

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Dolores Catania knows how to sniff out a good party ... and she's all about chipping in for it too!!!

Dolores was apparently hanging out around the Liberty House at the Liberty State Park in Jersey City on Sunday, where -- full disclosure -- one of our NYC camera guys, Jeremy, was having his wedding reception.

We're told the NJ 'Housewife' popped in around 8:30 PM and stayed for over an hour, mingling and snapping pics with the bride and groom and other guests who are big 'RHONJ' fans.

Dolores showed up solo and left by herself too ... but not before gifting the happy couple $250 via Venmo. We're told they were ecstatic about her surprise appearance ... truly a memorable moment.

BTW -- this was actually Jeremy's second wedding ceremony ... you may recall he had a small, socially distant affair last year in the early pandemic days that was memorable for totally different reasons.