Ron Perelman, the Revlon chairman who is less wealthy than an entire other 86 people in the world, is trying to settle a little legal matter over Marvel Entertainment Group, a company he once helmed before it sank into bankruptcy. Not that it hurt Perelman much: He and other toppers stood accused of fleecing the company, directing its dollars to his own companies before Marvel went under. So he's offering shareholders $80 million to settle the matter, while admitting no wrongdoing. This is, of course, a mere 4X more than he paid to have his ex-wife's name stamped on a building at UPenn, and $473.5 million less than he stands accused of stealing.

Madonna wedding guest and "international man of mystery" Vivi Nevo has more than an awesome name. He also has the ear of Dick Parsons, Bill Gates, and Rupert Murdoch. Except nobody — you know, beside his inner circle — really knows who this guy is. On paper, he's Time Warner's largest individual shareholder, but never more than five percent, because that would trigger disclosure requirements. But aside from the general story about his Israeli-by-Romania roots and his turning a modest family sum into a media fortune, and that he's engaged to Chinese A-lister Zhang Ziyi and invested in Amy Sacco's failed restaurant Bette, we know almost nothing about him!

How could this be?

Because Nevo is as equally skilled about making the right investments at the right time as he is maintaining his public persona as a jetsetting mysterioso.

CONTINUED »

The world's 87th wealthiest person Ron Perelman, who just named a UPenn building after his late ex-wife and former gossip reporter Claudia Cohen, is now suing her family for allegedly mismanaging her estate and cheating her daughter out of major cash. Naturally, the legal wrangling will fill gossip column inches for weeks and months to come. [NYP]

That Claudia Cohen was best known for slinging gossip in Page Six was apparently, um, lost on Page Six, who today defends their former masthead member against the SLEAZY New York Times. The Times' smear? Daring to quote people at UPenn who aren't thrilled about a building being named after the late Cohen, courtesy ex-husband Ron Perelman exercising his naming rights after a $20 million donation in 1994. But don't worry, Richard Johnson: For the right price you'll be able to name a building at your own alma mater, Empire State College, after whomever you please. Even Ron Burkle.

• Prince Harry likes it when his girlfriend calls him "Big Ginger." Kinky!

• Guests of Eva Longoria and Tony Parker's wedding have an extra swag-ger in their step.

• There's nothing sleazy billionaire Ron Perelman likes more than pining away for his 7th grade crush sailing on his yacht with platonic friend Gina Gershon.

• Steven Spielberg is living in constant fear of his grandmother's chaise lounge.

• “I love big boobs on a woman,” admits a totally heterosexual John Travolta. “So I wanted [my character] Edna [Turnblad] to have them. My boobs and butt got a lot of attention on the set. The whole crew kept coming over and groping me. The scary thing is, I liked it.”

• Brandy takes a backseat to her porn star brother while waiting for that whole vehicular manslaughter thing to pan out.

The thing about eccentric billionaires is, they weren't always eccentric. In fact, at one point, they were just nerdy high school freshmen, harboring delusional one-sided crushes on pretty, popular types who barely even knew they existed.

Which explains why Ronald Perelman's entire billionaire playboy persona can, apparently, be traced back to a single episode of unrequited love and abject humiliation, dating back to the ninth grade.

CONTINUED »

• For banking $21 million in her jewelry auction, Ellen Barkin could've at least afforded a martini to throw in ex-husband Ron Perelman's face.

• Madonna's children's book effort began with 350,000 copies sold of her first book. Post-African adoption scandal, her latest in the series has yet to move even five-figures worth.

• Paris Hilton's wonky eye and Nicole Richie's wrists hit the Victoria's Secret fashion show.

• Sacha Baron Cohen faces another lawsuit from a movie subject who claims she was lied to. This, from a woman who won't wipe Borat's ass for him.

• That Jann Wenner has a son should put to rest the notion that gays in media can't have kids.

• Lady models aren't the only ones with drug problems.

Since the female side of the Ron Perelman-Ellen Barkin divorce is running her mouth all over town, you wouldn't think the supermarket magnate half would keep quiet, would you? Certainly not. He's in October's Details magazine Q&A-ing with Jeff Gordinier.

Q: Do you have a favorite of your ex-wives?
A: I wouldn't tell you if I did.

Q: But do you?
A: Next question.

Obvious unasked question, especially on the heels of today's news: Do you have a favorite of your ex-CEOs?

The local news channels – and, oh look, MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News, too – are all over the 3-story townhouse collapse on the Upper East Side. A gas leak is temporarily being blamed by some reports for the residential building's destruction on 62nd Street between Park and Madison. Fox News, of course, is already covering its bases: "[During a situation like this] the Pentagon and White House take notice … there is no indication this is a terrorist strike." There is also no indication this should be a national news story that all three cable networks should be focusing on. Except it's New York. And something went boom. And rich people like Ron Perelman live nearby. And because this is not Homedale, Idaho.

• Robert Downey Jr. is speaking about his wedding weekend feud with Ron Perelman and Ellen Barkin, but he says his location switch had less to do with their photo policy on the estate and more to do with their wishes for unhappiness.

• Lindsay Lohan tried reaching out to foe Hilary Duff, only to have the starlet's sister hang up on her. Hmm, perhaps she's trying to reconcile in time for their Bad Girls shoot?

• Today show laugh track Al Roker hasn't been seen in two weeks, even with the country's biggest meteorological event taking place. Rumor had it he was just sick, but publicist Howard Rubenstein now says he's going in for "minor back surgery."

• Jennifer Lopez and Bordertown co-star Antonia Banderas are said to be elevating their professional on-set relationship to something a little more flirtatious, naturally pissing off Melanie Griffith's lips and Marc Anthony's skeleton.

• If Naomi Campbell can't slap you in person, she'll do it on a T-shirt. But the joke landed fashionisto Mal Sirrah on her blacklist with his shirt "Naomi slapped me… (on the front) and I slapped that bitch back! (on the back)," though Naomi's camp says it's more PR stunt than fact.

• Andre 3000 may not eat meat but he's got no problem killing animals for the sake of fashion. He's cutting off the tails of the endangered gray wolf to push his latest fashion must-have.

• It turns out Suge Knight shot himself at Kanye West's MTV VMA party, which makes us less keen on feeling sympathetic.

• Not only did Robert Downey Jr. move his nuptials with Susan Levin from Ron Perelman and Ellen Barkin's Georgica Pond estate to an undisclosed Amagansett locale, but he didn't even invite his almost-hosts to the Saturday wedding! Downey arranged to sell pics of the wedding to Richard Desmond's OK! magazine, but Perelman refused to let any snaps of his Creeks spread to be circulated.

• Jennifer Aniston's home invader David Hesterbey faces six years in prison if convicted, though right now he's pleading innocent. Meanwhile, Vinnie Vaughn's girl secured a restraining order against him.

• Mad magazine is looking at a surprising rise in readership (must be that Jon Stewart) and is riding its success with the launch of two new titles: MadKids and Mad Classics.

• Jon Stewart's new set loses the couch and, supposedly, turned the Daily Show host more ornery with his questions growing more "probing and incisive." Just like a real fake journalist.

• Was Simon Dumenco on to something? It seems boring advertising isn't just hitting September magazines, but major papers as well.