After Gisele, now Jay-Z passes the buck

FIRST THE Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen refuses to be paid in American currency. Now millionaire rapper Jay-Z has lost faith in the almighty dollar. In the video for Blue Magic (his contribution to the soundtrack of Ridley Scott's American Gangster), Jay-Z has eschewed the traditional stacks of US dollar bills and opted instead to flaunt stacks of euros. Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter, below) is one of American entertainment's most financially successful entrepreneurs, with a net worth of $547m, and commentators are already asking if the video signals the start of a recession. When Jay-Z called for a boycott of Cristal champage in June 2006 due to comments made by Cristal boss Frederic Rouzaud, the champagne company's profits suffered as a result.