Money

Jeff Bezos is putting his money and his ass, quite literally, on the line for his Blue Origin aerospace company's first crewed mission into space at 6 AM PT ... and TMZ will be live streaming.

The richest man in the world and 3 others are hopping into the autonomous New Shepard capsule for the highly-anticipated journey into sub-orbital space. His fellow astronauts-to-be are Jeff's brother, Mark Bezos, test pilot Wally Funk and recent HS grad Oliver Daemen.

The entire thing -- from takeoff to landing -- is expected to last around 11 minutes. The capsule will take off from a remote area near Van Horn, Texas ... about 2 hours southeast of El Paso. It'll land in the Texas desert, after being slowed by parachutes.

When they reach the edge of space -- an altitude of around 65 miles -- Bezos & Co. will experience several minutes of weightlessness. For comparison ... Richard Branson's V.S.S. Unity only got up to about 53 miles. FYI, the FAA and Air Force recognize space at an altitude of 50 miles.

While Branson went up first -- winning the so-called billionaire space race -- Bezos' flight will make history in several other ways.

If successful, Jeff's space voyage will be the first to be unpiloted with a civilian crew. Wally and Oliver would also set records as the oldest and youngest to reach space at 82 and 18, respectively.

Wally, BTW, was one of the original Mercury 13 women who took part in training back in the 1960s to show women could meet NASA's standards to become astronauts.

The launch comes 9 days after Branson's successful launch and perfect landing in New Mexico.

Biz Markie had a partner in rhyme pulling for him and his family up to the very end -- it was none other than Fat Joe, who provided emotional support like you wouldn't believe ... TMZ has learned.

The recently deceased MC's wife, Tara Hall, tells us that out of all the scores of people who reached out while Biz was ill ... Joe was the one who was always there, from the moment Biz entered the hospital last June due to complications from diabetes.

Tara says as soon as Joe heard the news, he was on the phone every single week with her -- checking in on Biz, on Tara and the rest of their loved ones to see if they needed anything, and to let them know he was there for them ... financially or otherwise.

She tells us Joe was literally willing to open his own wallet to whatever Biz's family needed during his hospital stay -- one which was fairly isolated due to COVID-19 regulations that really only allowed Tara to be by her husband's side, day in and day out.

Even now, after his death, Tara says Joe has offered to cover memorial or funeral costs -- however, she's politely turned him down each time, saying they don't need the dough ... but that she appreciates the gesture.

Joe's admiration for and dedication to Biz and his family are a sign of how beloved and respected he was in NYC's hip-hop community -- and while he's one of the few who went above and beyond, we're told several others were keeping tabs on the sitch.

Tara says other icons like Doug E. Fresh, Big Daddy Kane and Treach similarly checked in on their friend.

Conor McGregor's got 99 problems, but a ship ain't one -- the UFC superstar finally received his beloved Lambo yacht this week ... and the thing looks incredible!!

As we previously reported, the Notorious purchased a Lamborghini Tecnomar 63 -- referred to as a "Supercar of the Sea" -- for (at least) nearly $4 MILLION back in October.

Worth noting, that number might be even higher ... 'cause there's a chance the boat has even more bells and whistles. After all, this is Conor we're talking about.

The shiny, new toy couldn't have come at a better time for McGregor -- the guy is recovering from a devastating snapped leg at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier ... and now he has a ton of space to rest up on the water.

Conor's yacht is 63 feet long, weighs 24 tons, can reach up to 60 knots and has a 4,000 horsepower engine.

The yacht is one of just 63 made available to the (superrich) public ... with Conor getting the 12th in honor of his Proper 12 whiskey.

Remember, the dude was the highest-paid athlete in 2020 with $180 million -- due in large part to the booze biz -- so it's only right he pays tribute with the green boat.

Conor previously said it'll take about 6 weeks on crutches to recover from his injury ... and now we know where to find him if we need him.

T.J. Watt CLEARLY knows diamonds are forever ... 'cause the NFL superstar went all out for his fiancée's massive engagement ring -- scoring a piece of ice worth $100,000!!!

The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker popped the question to his longtime GF Dani Rhodes at a beautiful waterfront spot last week ... and the ring he used for the occasion is AWESOME!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 26-year-old hit-up celebrity jeweler Moe Diamonds for the bling, and he spared no expenses.

We're told the ring features a 2.5-carat flawless colorless triple EX graded diamond -- which is very rare -- and has 18k of white gold with 1.33 carats of VVS-flawless diamonds in the band.

All total, we're told the ring is valued at $100K!!!

And, what's even more interesting about the ring ... we're told Watt hit up Moe way back in June 2020 for the piece -- so he's been planning this for over a year!!!

"It still feels like I’m dreaming," Rhodes said on Instagram the day after saying "yes."

"Woke up today feeling so incredibly happy and blessed that I get to marry my best friend🤍 I can’t wait to love you FOREVER."

Watts and Rhodes have been dating since 2016 -- when they met at the University of Wisconsin.

They're both professional athletes ... Watt is entering his 5th season with the Steelers and Rhodes just signed with the Throttur Football Club, a soccer team in Iceland.

In fact, Rhodes is former teammates with J.J. Watt's wife, Kealia -- the two actually played together on the Chicago Red Stars women's soccer team.

Dua Lipa's vacation rental in Mexico City pays homage to an Aztec serpent god, which explains why it has such a ... unique design.

The pop star posted up in the capital city inside an Airbnb that's been officially dubbed Quetzalcoatl's Nest ... named after the mythical culture hero, Quetzalcoatl. The name translates to "feathered serpent" or "plumed serpent."

The rental -- which is just outside the city in a wooded area -- is a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom home that features a snake-shaped structure and twisting, cave-like walkways. Perfect for the budding herpetologist in you.

The place sleeps as many as 10 but make sure you bring friends who are in search of serenity because this place offers peace and quiet thanks to a park with botanical gardens, a cave of minerals and lakes as well.

There are quirky sitting areas to enjoy inside but the jaw-dropping views are better enjoyed outside ... thanks to sprawling green space. And, Dua did exactly that ... while rocking her abs and orange sunglasses with some friends.

Normies can book the incredibly affordable space for just $359 per night, assuming it isn't completely booked.

Jennifer Lopez is taking a very hands-on approach to finding her new home, 'cause it's not every day you see J Lo scaling ladders on construction sites.

Jennifer and her crew hit up an under-construction home Saturday in Bel Air -- this pad is actually a stone's throw away from her current home. It's unclear if the unfinished product's a project she'll take over to add the finishing touches, but she seemed very interested in the property.

You can see she's climbing ladders and talking to folks onsite -- including developer, Ardie Tavangarian, of the ARYA Group -- and looking perfectly comfortable in the dusty element ... all while looking like she just stepped out of a photo shoot for a fitness mag. Talk about nailing it.

As you know by now ... J Lo and her BF Ben Affleck have been all over town looking for potential residential landing spots for her. He tagged along last week as she checked out a stunning $65 million estate in L.A.'s upscale Holmby Hills neighborhood.

The pad was a whopping 31,000-square-foot palace with 8 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. It even has its own bowling alley.

Not long after that visit ... Bennifer was at it again in an upscale Santa Monica neighborhood and not too far from Ben's Pacific Palisades digs. Only this time, Jennifer's kiddos, Emme and Max, got to offer their input.

Jeff Bezos says he wants his virgin trip to space to become something everyday people can do on the regs -- almost like catching an airline flight ... which his company is aiming to do through their shuttles.

The richest man on Earth made the morning media rounds Monday, including a chat with Michael Strahan of 'GMA' -- who went down the line, introducing the 3 others accompanying Bezos to space Tuesday and hyping their launch.

82-year-old astronaut Wally Funk said she felt like her life dream was coming full circle; 18-year-old Oliver Daemen said he hoped he could serve as an inspiration for the youth, and Mark Bezos said he was excited to go on yet another adventure with his sibling ... with this trip obviously being the ultimate.

Standard pre-maiden trip to space kinda stuff -- but Jeff also dropped some new insight into Blue Origins plans with their shuttles -- namely, that they're planning to turn the spacecrafts eco-friendly by making them reusable for repeated voyages going forward.

He compared it to commercial airliners that zip back and forth in the skies now -- explaining that he and BO hope to get to that type of efficiency in the near future. So ... that's neat.

The implication (we think) is that it hopefully won't cost folks an arm and a leg to get up there one day. No telling what type of eventual price tag Bezos has in mind -- but if they're serious about the rinse and repeat approach ... maybe there's a future Groupon coming???

"Cars, clothing, shoes" -- that's the type of sponsorships UCLA hoops star Johnny Juzang wants after the new NCAA rule change ... telling TMZ Sports, he's excited to make some deals!

The NCAA announced earlier this summer that athletes can now make money off their name, image and likeness ... and when we got Juzang out at Ocean Prime in Beverly Hills this week, he told us he's ready to start negotiating.

Juzang told us he wants to rep things that he aligns with ... which, of course, includes vehicles and swag!!

"I love cars, clothing, shoes -- all that type of stuff," the 20-year-old said. "Should be some cool opportunities."

The 6-foot-6 guard tells us he's also interested in food brands -- specifically healthy ones.

"I eat healthy," Juzang said. "So, different brands that’ll align with that -- it’ll be interesting, man."

He added, "It’ll be a cool way to share a little bit about myself. It’s going to be exciting, man."

Juzang -- who averaged 16 points per game last season -- became a star after leading the Bruins to the 2021 Final Four -- their first appearance there in 13 years.

JJ declared for the 2021 NBA Draft shortly after, but he withdrew before the deadline and is now back in Westwood for his junior season.

And, he says he's hoping the Bruins can make another strong run for the title in 2022!

Daymond John is offering up financial advice to new UFC star Kris Moutinho ... after the crazy tough fighter admitted to TMZ Sports he has no clue what to do with his $75K bonus check.

The Shark Tank star and business mogul joined "TMZ Live" for his weekly "Follow The Money" segment ... and laid out exactly how Moutinho should allot the cash.

Pay your manager, start a corporation, write-off expenses, and open an account to save money are just a few of the tips John recommended Kris follow.

Remember, "Suga" Sean O'Malley peppered Kris with 230 significant strikes during their UFC 264 matchup ... but WOULD NOT QUIT. Moutinho ultimately lost, but Dana White gave him the $75K Fight of the Night bonus ... money KM admitted he had no idea to manage.

And, get this, Daymond -- who's an extremely busy guy -- actually offered to work with Kris one-on-one ... and help Moutinho get his finances together.

"This young man is gonna be getting a lot of checks. He's my new favorite, and if he wants to call me, I'm gonna help him put that money in the right place, stay protected, and grow that money," Daymond says.

"And, I have a lot of good friends who would love to help him financially and show him what to do, cause he was smart enough to know he did not know what to do with that type of money, and many of us need to act like that when we get money."

Ben Affleck is a man about town with Jennifer Lopez playing co-pilot as they continue to look for the perfect home for her -- and their latest stop featured a much-needed 3rd (and 4th) opinion ... from none other than her kiddos.

Bennifer was house hunting again Friday (on J Lo's behalf) ... this time cruising through what we're told was an upscale neighborhood in Santa Monica -- not too far from where Ben currently stays in the Pacific Palisades. Just like a couple days ago, Ben was in the driver's seat ... and Jen was mapping things out on her phone -- navigating him through SM's busy streets, we're sure.

The big difference this time, though, was the fact that her two children were tagging along for the stop-in. 13-year-old Emme and Max were in tow with their mom and what looked to be bodyguards/handlers ... who were also present for the tour of a place they ended up peepin'.

Check out the picks of the two tykes running into the crib -- a house that we're told was nice and all ... but not nearly as gargantuan or ritzy as the $65 million palace, among others, they were scoping Thursday in Holmby Hills. The price tag is that high for a reason.

No word yet on how much this new potential pad they saw Friday might cost -- but we've been told it appeared "modest" compared to the cribs the couple had just seen a day prior. Hey ... just 'cause she's filthy stinkin' rich doesn't mean she can't be smart with her dough.

At any rate ... something tells us Emme and Max offered some great insight that'll probably weigh in heavily on where J Lo ends up settling down. Like we told you -- this place would be just for Jen and the kids (for now) ... and it looks like her move West is all but guaranteed at this point, based on all the circumstantial evidence we've seen lately.

Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis is at least somewhat confident Aaron Rodgers will show up for training camp later this month ... telling TMZ Sports he "thinks" the QB will be there.

Rodgers -- who's been feuding with Green Bay brass for MONTHS now -- still has not committed to playing for the Packers this season ... and it's unclear if he has any plans at all to join the club for training camp when it kicks off on July 26.

But, Lewis says he's predicting his quarterback will show up to the mandatory workouts in two weeks ... telling us out at LAX, "I think so."

"I hope so," the 37-year-old added. "I hope to see my guy there."

Lewis, though, made it clear he doesn't have too much inside information on the situation ... explaining, "We'll see what happens."

Rodgers has reportedly been upset over his contract situation, as well as some of the personnel moves the team has made ... and, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, it's unlikely he comes to camp without some sort of guarantee that he'll be traded after the season.

As for how the quarterback has handled this offseason amid all the drama -- staying away from the Packers and instead jettisoning around the globe with his fiancee, Shailene Woodley -- Lewis tells us he's all for it.

"It's probably good for him to just give him some time to himself -- some family time," Lewis said. "Hopefully I see him on the 26th."

Damon Dash just took another L in court at the hands of Roc-A-Fella and Jay-Z ... but their legal war's far from over, and they could be duking it out again soon.

A federal judge just shot down Dash's bid to get a temporary restraining order which would have blocked Friday's meeting of the record label's shareholders -- a meeting where Dash claimed Jay would try to pass bylaws restricting Dame's ability to sell his stake in RAF.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Dash says he's trying to sell his 1/3 interest in Roc-A-Fella, but claims Jay's trying to do anything he can to block him.

Dash claims he recently learned of a Friday afternoon meeting between Jay and the third RAF founder, Kareem Burke, and he raced to court to get a judge to stop it.

But, the judge denied DD ... and instead, told him he could sue later if he takes issue with whatever comes out of Friday's meeting.

Check your mailbox, Dustin Poirier ... it's about to be filled with a pricey Conor McGregor chain -- 'cause Jake Paul says he sent out the trolling diamonds on Thursday evening!!!

Paul copped the piece ahead of last Saturday's McGregor vs. Poirier tilt ... and it was pretty funny -- making fun of Conor for being dazed after getting rocked by Dustin in their second fight back in Jan. 2021.

And, when Poirier beat McGregor again over the weekend, Paul offered DP the $100k bling as a congratulations gift -- and Diamond accepted!

So, Paul finally mailed the thing out Thursday ... and wrote a personalized letter with it too!

"Dear Dustin, congrats on your much earned victory," Paul said. "I love what you're doing with your Good Fight Foundation. You deserve this chain more than me!"

He added, "Good always beats evil! Keep winning!"

As good as Poirier would look in the chain, Paul said Dustin has agreed to sell it for charity, which means we're assuming the proceeds will go to Poirier's famous foundation that helps underprivileged communities.

Light-hearted smack talk AND a helping hand? We're here for all of that!

Jeff Bezos lost the billionaire space race to Richard Branson, but his trip will still be historic ... because it's carrying both a teenager and an octogenarian into space.

As you've probably heard ... the Amazon honcho's rocket company, Blue Origin, is scheduled to launch into space aboard the New Shepard rocket July 20. When it does, its first paying customer -- 18-year-old Oliver Daemen -- will go down in the record books as the youngest space traveler ever.

Blue Origin announced the Dutch teenager would join Jeff and his brother, Mark Bezos, on the flight because the original $28 million winner of the company's auction for the spot chose a later mission "due to scheduling conflicts."

That person remains anonymous, but Oliver is the son of Somerset Capital Partners CEO Joes Daemen ... who paid for his kid to replace the original winner.

Meanwhile, the person who will pilot Blue Origin's rocket with the 3 men aboard is 82-year-old Wally Funk ... who will become the oldest human to go to space.

Funk was part of the Mercury 13, a group of 13 American women who in the early 1960s underwent similar studies as NASA’s Mercury 7 astronauts to determine if they could handle space travel ... but they never launched.

If all goes according to plan, Wally will finally get there, and when she does she will break the age record set by John Glenn, who returned to space in 1998 at the age of 77. Daemen will break the youth record set by the Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov, who was 25 when he blasted into orbit in 1961.

The FAA approved Blue Origin's launch Monday, just a day after Branson flew to space aboard the first passenger flight by his own space tourism company, Virgin Galactic.

Branson received a hero's welcome back on Earth Tuesday in NYC, as he was heading in to "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."