Must be nice:

Jay’s been tapped to perform at the exclusive opening of a new hotel in Las Vegas New Year’s eve. Rumors swirled about Jay’s million dollar gig earlier this year [click here if you missed that] and now the rumors have been confirmed. And while the initial multi-million quote was off, a million dollars for one show is still ten paces past bananas.

Going to Vegas On New Years is expensive, I have heard the nosebleed seats went for around 200 dollars. Hey, if people are stupid enough to pay that kind of money, why should he make the money?

She was awarded a 15 million dollar settlement after their divorce, and now the word on the street is she is close to being broke:

Eddie Murphy’s ex wife Nicole has blown her massive $15 million divorce settlement in just four years – and now she’s millions of dollars in debt.

What’s more, the IRS has slapped her with five tax liens totally $846,630, and she has put her opulent mansion up for sale.

When Nicole divorced Eddie in 2006 after 13 years of marriage, she chose to take a one-time payout from the comedian of $15 million, instead of monthly alimony. But in a shockingly short span of time, she’s managed to lose all of it.

“Nicole made some bad investments with the fortune she got from Eddie, and now she is in serious financial straits,” said a friend of the 42-year-old stunner.

Court records show that the IRS slapped Nicole with two liens for back taxes in November totaling $214,688.

That huge bill was on top of outstanding judgments against her for nearly $600,000 by a legal firm and another $60,000 demand for payment by a landscaping company. She also owes $5 million on her Los Angeles-area home.

“Nicole is overwhelmed by the mountain of debt she has piled up,” added the source.

Nicole, who has five children with Eddie, invested in an Internet jewelry business, but the venture quickly failed and Nicole lost most of her money.”

No confirmation on this story just yet, but I can only hope this is not true.  That amount she owes to the IRS though is straight crazy…

Cele|Bitchy

Some say this is Karma, but I feel bad for his family,

NEW YORK — The older son of infamous Ponzi scheme architect Bernard Madoff was found dead early Saturday, after he apparently hanged himself on the second anniversary of the multi-billion dollar scam that victimized thousands of celebrities, charities and average investors.

The New York City Police Department said investigators found the body of Mark Madoff, 46, in his condo in Manhattan’s expensive Soho neighborhood after receiving an emergency call around 7:27 a.m.

“Mark Madoff took his own life today,” said attorney Martin Flumenbaum, who has represented the apparent suicide victim and his younger brother, Andrew in the sprawling investigation of the scam. This is a terrible and unnecessary tragedy. Mark was an innocent victim of his father’s monstrous crime.”

May he rest in peace.
Source

Keep reading to see the full list: This list left out alot of folks but neways…

Drama (per episode)

Hugh Laurie (House) $400,000+
Christopher Meloni & Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU) $395,000 (each)
David Caruso (CSI: Miami) $375,000
Marg Helgenberger (CSI) $375,000
Mark Harmon (NCIS) $375,000
Laurence Fishburne (CSI) $350,000
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) $350,000
Denis Leary (Rescue Me) $350,000
Gary Sinise (CSI: NY ) $275,000
Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy) $250,000
David Boreanaz (Bones) $200,000
Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice) $200,000
Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife ) $175,000
Dana Delany (Body of Proof ) $150,000
Lauren Graham (Parenthood) $150,000
Jada Pinkett Smith (HawthoRNe) $150,000
Jimmy Smits (Outlaw) $150,000
LL Cool J (NCIS: Los Angeles) $125,000
Chris O’Donnell (NCIS: Los Angeles) $125,000
Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains) $125,000
Jason Lee (Memphis Beat) $125,000
Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds) $125,000
Tom Selleck (Blue Bloods) $125,000
Michael Weatherly (NCIS) $125,000
Matt Bomer (White Collar) $100,000
Nathan Fillion (Castle) $100,000
Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds) $100,000
Jon Hamm (Mad Men) $100,000
Cole Hauser (Chase) $100,000
Alex O’Loughlin (Hawaii Five-0) $100,000
Timothy Olyphant (Justified ) $100,000
Scott Caan (Hawaii Five-0) $80,000
Angie Harmon (Rizzoli & Isles) $75,000
Anna Paquin (True Blood) $75,000
Blair Underwood (The Event) $75,000
Zachary Levi (Chuck) $60,000
Ian Somerhalder (The Vampire Diaries) $40,000
Shailene Woodley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) $40,000
Ashley Tisdale (Hellcats) $30,000

Comedy (per episode)

Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men) $1.25 million
Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) $550,000
Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives) $400,000
Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives) $400,000
Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) $400,000
Eva Longoria Parker (Desperate Housewives) $400,000
Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons) $400,000
Julie Kavner (The Simpsons) $400,000
Tina Fey (30 Rock) $350,000
Jeremy Piven (Entourage) $350,000
Steve Carell (The Office) $297,000
Angus T. Jones (Two and a Half Men) $250,000
David Duchovny (Californication) $200,000
Kevin Dillon (Entourage) $200,000
Adrian Grenier (Entourage) $200,000
Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) $180,000
Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) $175,000
William Shatner ($#*! My Dad Says) $150,000
David Spade (Rules of Engagement) $150,000
Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) $100,000
Patrick Warburton (Rules of Engagement) $85,000
Betty White (Hot in Cleveland) $75,000
Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) $60,000
Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) $60,000
Ty Burrell (Modern Family) $50,000
Jane Lynch (Glee) $50,000
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) $40,000
Matthew Morrison (Glee) $30,000
Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place) $30,000
Dylan and Cole Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) $20,000 (each)
Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family) $15,000

Late Night/Talk Syndication (per year)

Oprah Winfrey $315 million
Judge Judy Sheindlin $45 million
David Letterman (The Late Show) $28 million
Jay Leno (The Tonight Show) $25 million
Conan O’Brien (The Conan O’Brien Show) $10 million
Ellen DeGeneres (The Ellen DeGeneres Show) $8 million
Jimmy Kimmel (Jimmy Kimmel Live) $6 million
Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately) $3.5 million
George Lopez (Lopez Tonight) $3.5 million

Reality (per year)

Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) $15 million
Joel McHale (The Soup) $2 million
Piers Morgan (America’s Got Talent) $2 million
Kate Gosselin (Kate Plus $250,000 per episode
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi (Jersey Shore) $30,000 per episode

News (per year)

Matt Lauer (Today) $16 million +
Katie Couric (CBS) $15 million
Brian Williams (NBC) $12.5 million
Diane Sawyer (ABC) $12 million
Meredith Vieira (Today) $11 million
Bill O’Reilly (Fox News) $10 million
George Stephanopoulos (ABC) $8 million
Keith Olbermann (MSNBC) $7 million
Shepard Smith (Fox News) $7 million
Wolf Blitzer (CNN) $3 million
Christiane Amanpour (ABC) $2 million
Lawrence O’Donnell (MSNBC) $2 million
Eliot Spitzer (CNN) $500,000

Who Are TV’s Top Earners? – Today’s News: Our Take | TVGuide.com

Yep, your credit card company is trying to jack up your interest rates when your not looking:

Even after the Federal Reserve reduced their borrowing costs, the nation’s banks raised credit card rates and boosted profit from the consumer debt in the first half of 2009, according to a consumer advocacy group.

The Pew Safe Credit Cards Project said Monday the median lowest advertised credit card rate rose to 11.99% in July from 9.99% in December. At the same time, the group said, the profit banks made on credit card debt rose 46%.

The group, which says on its Web site that it seeks to “protect customers from unfair credit card practices,” said its figures are based on a survey of nearly 400 credit card issuers. The full results of the survey are scheduled to be published next month.

To make a long story short, remember that as a consumer, you have the right to negotiate your rates. If it is too high, ask them to lower it for you, if they decline, keep asking for the next person up until you see results. Be personable and friendly and nine times out of ten you will get your desired results. Don’t be a fool in 2009, read the fine print and make sure you pay at least the minimum balance every month. Good luck.

Source

This week marked the 40th bank to go under, which means the recession is really far from over:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Regional banks in North Carolina, Kansas and Georgia were closed by state regulators Friday, bringing the total number of failed banks this year to 40, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said.

The 24 branches of Wilmington, N.C.-based Cooperative Bank will reopen Monday as branches of First Bank, which is based in Troy, N.C.

Cooperative bank had assets of $970 million and total deposits of approximately $774 million. First Bank will assume all of the failed bank’s deposits and agreed to purchase $942 million of its assets.

In Kansas, First National Bank of Anthony, which operated 6 branches – including two under the name of First National Bank of Johnson County – will be taken over by Bank of Kansas.

Bank of Kansas, which is based in South Hutchinson, acquired all of First National Bank of Anthony’s $156.9 million deposits. It also purchased the bulk of the failed bank’s $156.9 million worth of assets. 

The FDIC will only insure money up to $100,000, so if your life’s worth is in one of these banks, let me suggest a more secure way to hold on to your money. Go to the nearest mattress and cuts a line through the side. Obtain a crown royal bag (or several for my big ballers) and then stuff money and assets in the bag and then fold them neatly in the mattress. Keep all flammable materials away (as well as children). Ta-Da!!!!
Source