Big payday for Mariah Carey after New Years performance on St. Barts

Libyan strongman Moammar Khadafy’s son Saif insists on the best. We hear Saif paid Mariah
Carey a small fortune to perform at his New
Year’s Eve party on St. Bart’s.

One spy says Carey’s three or four songs at the Nikki Beach Club set Saif back about $1 million. Moammar’s second son is used to writing big
checks. Having criticized his father’s regime in 2006, he has been involved in Libya’s
compensation of victims of past acts of terrorism.

Carey’s rep said she didn’t know whether Khadafy paid Carey. But the “Glitter” star who gave bigtime to charity this Christmas, seemed to be having fun with hubby Nick Cannon. Continuing to contradict pregnancy rumors, Carey wore a tight dress that didn’t give a hint of a bulge. She also downed one glass after another of Champagne, having gobbled
a dozen raw oysters - a prenatal no-no - a few days earlier.

After counting down the seconds to midnight,
Carey turned over the mike to Timbaland, who did some impromptu rapping with party guest Jay-Z, there with the lovely Beyoncé.

“I’ve never seen Jay and Beyoncé having such a good time,” says a spy. “They were hugging and waving their arms. It was out of control.” (Beyoncé, too, was drinking Champagne, tummy-watchers.)


Also partying hard was Mr. 007, Daniel Craig, who worked up a mighty sweat dancing with girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell at the art dealer Larry Gagosian’s party earlier in the week. Go-Go flew in the Kings of Leon for the bash.

Among those making the rounds were Eddie Murphy (with a well-upholstered brunette girlfriend), Marc Jacobs (holding a rose between his teeth at one fete), Jon Bon Jovi (taking a break with wife Dorothea from the documentary he’s making about his band), Ron Perelman (all over his psychiatrist girlfriend Anna Chapman), Amy Smart, Russell Simmons, Jeff Gordon, Andre Balazs and L.A. Reid.

The financial meltdown showed its ripples at seaside restaurants where tables were easier to come by. Meanwhile, on Mustique, there was no sign of hedge fund head Walter Noel, the single biggest victim of scammer Bernard Madoff. Could be that Noel and his family didn’t want to face Mustique pals whom they’d given the “privilege” of investing with Madoff.

“People who got burned are mad,” says an insider.

While Noel rented out his Mustique villa, Yemanja, next to Tommy Hilfiger’s, the buzz is that he’ll soon put it on the market.