Rap star P Diddy forced to ground his jet as fuel prices are "too high"
www.telegraph.co.uk - 27th Aug 2008
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The 38-year-old entrepreneur, a successful US rap star who owns his own record label, clothing and perfume line, has said he will only fly with commercial airlines until the price of oil has come down.
Combs claims that two round-trips between Los Angeles and New York on board his personal jet now costs him around $200,000 (�108,000).
He was so incensed by the situation that he posted footage of himself on video-sharing website YouTube, vowing to abstain from private travel until fuel prices fall.
Titled "Diddy Blog #12 - Gas Prices Are Too High", the clip shows him delivering the message from an airport lounge.
He said: "Gas prices are too ****** ******* high. As you know, I do own my own jet and I have been having flying back and forth to LA pursuing my acting career.
"Now, if I'm flying back and forth, like, twice in a month that's like $200,000 or $250,000 round trip. **** that. I'm back on American Airlines right now, OK.
Laughing into the camera, he said: "Check this out, your boy Diddy right now is on American Airlines. Look.
"I want to give a shout out to all my Saudi Arabian brothers and sisters and all my brothers and sisters from all the countries that have oil, if you could all please send me some oil for my jet I would truly appreciate it.
"But right now, can you believe it, I am actually flying commercial. That's how high gas prices are ok, so I feel you. Look, I'm at the gate right now.
"This is proof that gas prices are too high, we need to do something about it, so tell whoever the next president is that we need to bring gas back down."
As he boards his flight Combs tells the people around him that he is trying to prove he has been forced to "fly commercial", stating what an unbelievable situation it was before holding up his plane ticket for the camera.
The 2 minute 25 second video, posted on August 24, has been viewed almost 33,000 times.
Combs is said to be worth around $346 million (�188 million) and was featured on Fortune magazine's "40 Richest People Under 40" list in 2002.
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