Ever wonder what you can buy with $40 million? Funnyman Jerry Seinfeld is buying a Long Island beach house. Of course, this isn’t just any house. His spokeswoman, Elizabeth Clarke, told the Daily News in New York that the comedian is buying pianoman Billy Joel’s East Hampton estate, a 12-acre property that includes a huge manor house, a guest house, a pool and a barn. Other celebrities with homes in the neighborhood are boxer Mike Tyson, financier Bruce Wasserstein, filmmaker Steven Spielberg and 60 Minutes producer Don Hewitt.

Seinfeld reportedly will pay up to $40 million for the home where Joel has lived since the mid-1980s. This is Seinfeld’s third attempt to score a house in the Hamptons. A deal to buy property belonging to Lee Radziwill — the sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis — fell through and he recently was outbid for a $16 million property by designer Helmut Lang.

Julia Roberts named Forbes’ No. 1 celebrity

Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas and TV talk-show host Oprah Winfrey made more money, but movie star Julia Roberts ranks No. 1 on the Forbes magazine list of top celebrities released Friday.

Although her earnings of $50 million last year were only 12th on the list of top moneymakers, Roberts qualified for the title of “most powerful celebrity on the planet” by virtue of her media coverage.

Forbes’ list awards a power ranking based on both income and media coverage, consisting of press clips, cover stories, TV and radio mentions and Web “hits.”

Letter sender barred from Whitney Houston

A New York City woman who wrote that Whitney Houston is her “supernatural reincarnated mother” and has sent her a four-tiered cake, underwear and other gifts has been barred from contacting the singer.

A judge in Morristown, N.J., issued a temporary restraining order Thursday against Desiree D. Weeks, 36, in response to a lawsuit filed by Houston, who lives in Mendham, N.J., about 35 miles west of New York City. Weeks was not at the hearing.

Sally Ride will help launch a new airship

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, is following in the footsteps of Amelia Earhart.

Ride will christen the Spirit of Goodyear airship on March 15 in Akron, Ohio, and climb aboard for the first official ride. The airship replaces the Spirit of Akron, which crashed in October.

In 1929, Earhart, an aviation pioneer, helped launch the Goodyear airship Defender in Cleveland.

“We’re really happy that Sally Ride has accepted our invitation,” Goodyear spokesman Mickey Wittman said. “We wanted someone in aviation, a woman and a hero — someone like Amelia Earhart.”

Ride, 49, first went into space in 1983 on a six-day shuttle mission with four NASA crewmates.

Former maid denies stealing from Stone

Sharon Stone’s former housekeeper was charged with stealing jewelry and other items valued at $300,000 from the actress’s Los Angeles home.

Socorro Del Carmen Membrano, 48, pleaded innocent Thursday to one count of grand theft, according to a courtroom deputy. She had worked for Stone for almost three years. The theft allegedly took place more than a month ago, according to prosecutors.

Membrano was held in lieu of $300,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was set for March 15.

Cochran to hang a shingle in Chicago

Celebrity lawyer Johnnie Cochran is expanding his law practice by opening an office in Chicago.

The new office — Cochran’s fifth — will specialize in personal-injury law. It will be overseen by partner James Montgomery, former corporation counsel for the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. Cochran already has law offices in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Alabama.

ALMANAC

It’s the 64th day of the year; 302 days are left in 2000. On this date:

In 1789, the Constitution went into effect as the first Federal Congress met in New York.

In 1791, Vermont became the 14th state.

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as president.

In 1902, the American Automobile Association was founded in Chicago.

In 1989, Time Inc. and Warner Communications Inc. announced plans to merge into the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerate.

Thought for today: “The world fears a new experience more than it fears anything. Because a new experience displaces so many old experiences.” — British author D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930)

Today’s birthdays: Singer Miriam Makeba, 68; actress Paula Prentiss, 61; singer Bobby Womack, 56; musician Emilio Estefan, 47; singer Evan Dando, 33; actress Patsy Kensit, 32; Chastity Bono, 31.