Naomi Campbell

There is something about Naomi Campbell that sets her apart from other supermodels. While she can seduce the camera and work a catwalk with the best of the streamlined beauties, Campbell has a taste for risk taking and an absolute self-confidence that has fueled her success and her longevity. In an industry where women are often given their walking papers before they hit 25, 29-year-old Campbell is still one of the top-paid models in the world. "I work very hard and I'm worth every cent," says Naomi of her net worth, which Business Age has estimated at $29 million. She was discovered at 15, and it wasn't long before the British-born beauty's exotic good looks (a mixture of Jamaican and Chinese ancestry) made her grace the covers of Time and Vogue. Like many of her peers, Campbell has endured her share of PR embarrassments over the years: a reported near drug overdose in the Canary Islands (she said it was an allergic reaction to antibiotics), her part ownership of the Fashion Café and an allegation that she assaulted an assistant. But she shrugs off criticism in the wake of two successful books, an album on Epic Records that was big in Japan, roles in films such as Spike Lee's Girl 6 and her contributions to children's charities. She's been called the black panther, and her impressive physique tells us why. What's her secret? "I never diet. I smoke. I drink now and then. I never work out," she says. Captured here, Naomi shows off a sensual versatility that will keep her in demand for years to come.