What do Snoop Dogg and Jared Leto have in common? If you answered "they both make music" then technically you're right, but that wasn't what we were getting at. 
 
 The other thing they share is that they both have invested millions in Reddit, and have contributed to the site's recent $50 million intake from an A-list of investors, according to The Independent. 
 
 But Jared Leto and Snoop Dogg aren't the only stars who are looking for new channels to make money. Many other stars have their hands in founding start-ups and new business. Stars such as… 
 
 NEWS: Jared Leto's Ripped Up Shirt Might Cost More Than Your TV 
 
 Jessica Alba 
 
 
 
 In 2012, the Sin City star decided that she wanted to start a company that sold toxin-free household goods. So, she got together with her business partner and they created The Honest Company. 
 
 Justin Bieber 
 
 
 
 The only thing Justin Bieber loves more than Justin Bieber is photos of Justin Bieber. So it makes sense that he would be a principle investor – to the tune of $1.1 million – in the up and coming social media photo –sharing site Shots. 
 
 Venus Williams 
 
 
 
 The tennis star, who once ranked No. 1 in the world, has had one of the most successful careers in the sport she loves. But that doesn’t mean she wants to stifle her love of interior design. So the sports icon started V Starr Interiors, of which she is currently the CEO. Her company, based out of Florida, has designed the homes of many major athletes and even television talk show sets. 
 
 VIDEO: 9 Celebs Who Launched Their Own Brand of Booze 
 
 Ashton Kutcher 
 
 
 
 The new dad and Two And A Half Men star has basically invested in everything, all the time, ever, in one way or another. Currently, he's been focusing on his viral-news site A+ (which is basically Buzzfeed except… well, no. It's Buzzfeed.) 
 
 Akon 
 
 
 
 This Konvicted rapper revealed that he owns a diamond mine in Africa. A diamond mine. Like, a hole in the ground out of which diamonds are pulled by people who wish they didn’t have to pull diamonds out of a hole in the ground. At first, Akon responded to criticism of his diamond mine ownership and its role in conflict diamond trading by arguing, "I don't believe in conflict diamonds. That's just a movie." He's since changed his mind. 
 
 PHOTOS: Movie Star Restaurateurs 
 
 Kevin Smith 
 
 
 
 Aside from directing some of the most beloved cult comedies in the last 20 years, Smith also runs one of the biggest podcasting networks on the internet. 
 
 Kevin Kostner 
 
 
 
 The Waterworld star seems to have taken the environmental message behind his 1995 post-apocalyptic action adventure film very seriously. Kostner bought a company called Ocean Therapy Solutions, which built machines that could separate oil from water, for $24 million. When the BP oil spill occurred, the government and BP leased dozens of the machines from Kostner. 
 
 A surprising number of stars own their own booze companies as well! Check out the video below for more on the wide world of celebrity hooch! ||||| Image copyright Getty Images 
 
 Rock star Gene Simmons says that when it comes to making money he is like a great white shark. 
 
 And that despite being worth more than $300m (£200m), he will never stop wanting to make more. 
 
 The bassist and co-vocalist of stadium-filling, costume-wearing and face-painted US band Kiss, says: "Life is business, and I approach life the way sharks approach life - they must keep moving or else they will drown. 
 
 "I'll never stop hunting more money, I'll never have enough." 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Simmons says he has never drunk alcohol or taken drugs 
 
 With Kiss now in South America on the latest stage of a two-year sell-out world tour, Simmons, 65, took time out to speak to the BBC about his long career in the music industry, and his host of other business interests. 
 
 Although famous for sticking out his very long tongue, and past womanising - he claims to have slept with 4,800 women - what is much less well known is that Simmons has always been the financial brains of the band. He is its de facto chief executive. 
 
 Ever since the four-piece band formed in New York in 1973, it has been Simmons who has kept his eyes on the finances. And it was his incredibly lucrative idea for the band to sell as much merchandise as possible. 
 
 For while Kiss have sold 100 million records around the world, the band has actually made more money from selling licensed products. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The band is currently on the South American leg of a two-year world tour 
 
 Over the group's 42-year history, it has authorised more than 5,000 different items of merchandise, everything from rock band staples such as T-shirts and hats, to comic books, pinball machines, credit cards, and even condoms and coffins. 
 
 Not forgetting jewellery, ashtrays, lunchboxes, Halloween costumes, baseballs and beach towels. And a golf course and coffee shop. 
 
 It is a business empire which under Simmons' stewardship just keeps on growing. 
 
 This has led to the band's critics - and there have been many over the years - accusing the group of being too commercially-focused, of cheapening itself at the expense of its music. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Kiss have authorised more than 5,000 different merchandise items 
 
 The calm and quietly spoken Simmons says he has no respect for such people. 
 
 He says (after a liberal amount of swear words have been edited out): "All our lives Kiss has been hounded by people who haven't achieved anything. And we buried them long ago. 
 
 "I call selling merchandise 'the Kiss business', and every band sells T-shirts, every band sells merchandise. They just don't do as good a job of it as us." 
 
 Lifetime teetotaller 
 
 The son of a mother who survived the Holocaust, Simmons was born in the Israeli city of Haifa in 1949. His birth name was Chaim Witz. 
 
 Describing his family as "dirt poor", he first showed his entrepreneurial spirit as a seven year old, when he and a friend started to pick wild fruit which they then sold on roadsides. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Kiss have sold 100 million records despite never having been a hit with music critics 
 
 He says it was his first lesson in the importance of working hard and making money. 
 
 The family then emigrated to the US a year later, and growing up in New York, Simmons was inspired to start a band after watching the Beatles on television. 
 
 In 1973 Kiss was formed, with Simmons on bass, Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley on guitars, and Peter Criss on drums. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Kiss recently moved into the coffee business 
 
 With Simmons and Stanley sharing the vocals, each band member painted his face with a different design, and took on a stage name. 
 
 Simmons' name was "The Demon", and on a white background he drew black flames around his eyes. Not forgetting putting on platform boots and body armour. 
 
 Fuelled by catchy hard rock songs, and the outlandish make-up and outfits giving the band a major promotional push, within a few years Kiss was enjoying soaring sales and sell-out tours. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Kiss even sell birth control products, with four different types of condoms 
 
 The music critics were often hostile, with many accusing the group of being all image over substance, but Kiss built up a massive fan base around the world. 
 
 Yet despite living a multi-million dollar lifestyle for four decades, Simmons says he has never drunk alcohol, taken drugs, or even smoked a cigarette. 
 
 "As a young man at parties, I'd look around and see all the other men completely drunk, behaving like idiots, and unable to talk to the beautiful girls," he says. 
 
 "What a complete waste of humanity... booze or drugs have never done anything for me, but I fully uphold people's right to have a completely loser life." 
 
 Workaholic 
 
 Although original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are no longer in the group, Kiss continues to tour the world with Stanley as the musical leader and Simmons as the businessman. 
 
 He describes his stewardship of the current world tour as like "driving a truck". 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption Simmons lives in Los Angeles with former Playboy model Shannon Tweed 
 
 "I'm driving and I keep an eye on everything," says Simmons. "But open the hood and I don't have a clue what is going on with the engine. 
 
 "Thankfully I hire people who can do all that for me. Paul and I always have a great team with us... and every night we put on one hell of a show. We are deadly serious when up on stage." 
 
 In addition to looking after Kiss, Simmons' other business interests now include everything from a restaurant chain, to an American football team, reality TV shows, a new horror movie production company, book and magazine publishing, public speaking, and language translation services. 
 
 He says he is able to find the time for everything because he loves working, and is never hungover. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Simmons says that whether on or off stage he is always working 
 
 "Think about how much time most people waste doing nothing - weekends, nothing, holidays, nothing, Christmas, nothing. That all adds up. 
 
 "Me I'm always working. When I'm on tour, I'm constantly on my computer working." 
 
 When at home, Simmons lives in Los Angeles with his long-term partner Shannon Tweed, an actress and former Playboy playmate, with whom he has two children. 
 
 He says: "I'm like [billionaire investor] Warren Buffett - he gets up every day and goes to work even though he doesn't need the money. 
 
 "I live to make more money. People who say that money is the root of all evil are morons, a lack of money is the root of all evil." ||||| Courtney Hazlett reports on the death of British fashion superstar Alexander McQueen as well as the mouth that roared, John Mayer. 
 
 Dec. 15: Msnbc.com's Courtney Hazlett has the scoop on the monthly money transfers Tiger Woods had been making to his girlfriends, and why his cell phone may be missing. 
 
 By Courtney Hazlett The Scoop msnbc.com 
 
 Courtney Hazlett The Scoop 
 
 Despite claims that Tiger Woods was cheap when it came to spending money on the women with whom he had relationships, some did benefit financially and continue to do so. 
 
 According to several women who were involved with the golfer, Woods wired money to them on a monthly basis. The dollar amounts they cite range from $5,000 to $10,000 per month, and there’s talk among those women that someone out there might be getting as much as $20,000 per month. 
 
 “The money comes via a wire transfer,” said one woman. “There’s no contract about it, there’s no discussion about what it’s for, but it’s implied that it’s in exchange for keeping quiet about his affair.” 
 
 According to that same woman, Woods continued to be in touch in the days following his Thanksgiving night car accident. “Elin took his cell phone away, so he had to call from his land line at home,” said one. “He hasn’t called in at least a week though.” 
 
 J.Lo sees an upside in paparazzi’s lost interest 
 
 Jennifer Lopez’s days of dodging paparazzi are behind her, and she says it’s because when they do take photos of her, they can’t sell them for much money. 
 
 “It’s a business. Once they stop making money off of you they stop coming around,” Lopez told Allure magazine. 
 
 Slideshow Celebrity sightings 
 
 Julianne Moore is honored at Santa Barbara film fest, Ewan McGregor launches new film in Berlin, Gwen Stefani works Fashion Week and more. more photos 
 
 Not having to dodge photographers leaves time for other endeavors, such as chatting up Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. 
 
 Lopez told Allure that she and the court’s first Latina judge have “discussed being famous, and I told her, ‘Life is about inspiration, and you inspire people by achieving what you achieve. You make me want to do better things.’ She’s awesome, she’s a very smart woman, though I think she’s been overwhelmed by all the attention she’s getting.” 
 
 New home for former ‘House’ star 
 
 “House” star Jennifer Morrison was just as surprised as everyone else when her character, Dr. Allison Cameron, was abruptly written off the show earlier this season. 
 
 Although show producers left the door open for her return, Morrison is moving on. She’ll make her Broadway debut in the revival of “The Miracle Worker,” where she’ll play Kate Keller, mother of Helen. The show co-stars Abigail Breslin as Helen and Matthew Modine as her father, Captain Arthur Keller. Previews begin Feb. 12, and the show opens March 3. 
 
 Golden Globe tweet-up 
 
 Come hang out with me on Twitter for the Golden Globe nominations Tuesday at 8:20 a.m. ET, where I’ll comment on the nominees as they’re announced. You can find me @courtneyatmsnbc. 
 
 Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter @courtneyatmsnbc 
 
 © 2010 msnbc.com Reprints ||||| It used to be enough for a celebrity to act or sing or swing a bat really well. Now to be considered a real success, he or she needs to sell clothes, hawk fragrances--maybe even invest in technology startups. 
 
 While she hasn’t stormed Silicon Valley just yet, Jennifer Lopez is a state-of-the-art celebrity success story. With $52 million in earnings over the last 12 months and a massive amount of fame, Lopez lands at No. 1 on our Celebrity 100 list for the first time. 
 
 A few years ago it looked like Lopez was done. Her albums, like the all-Spanish Como Ama una Mujer, failed to find the broad audience she once enjoyed. Her movies, like El Cantante, flopped. 
 
 Then in 2010 the singer landed a judge's chair on American Idol. The job gave her a platform to promote her music and turn her image around. It didn’t hurt that she also split from her husband, Marc Anthony. Suddenly a single mother, Lopez lapped up the media attention and scored lucrative endorsement deals with companies like L’Oreal and Gillette. She now has a line of clothing at Kohl's, a top-selling fragrance and she was able to secure a nice bump—to $20 million--on her Idol salary for a second season. With 6.6 million followers on Twitter and 12 million fans on Facebook, she’s also proved a master of social media. 
 
 Lopez unseats Lady Gaga, who topped the list last year. The pop star slides to fifth place this time around with $52 million in earnings, down from $90 million last year (Gaga didn’t tour much in the last 12 months). Her new album, Born This Way, was still a smash hit, selling 1 million copies its first week out. 
 
 Cover Story: Justin Bieber, Venture Capitalist 
 
 In second place is Oprah Winfrey, whom Gaga unseated for No. 1 last year. Winfrey had a rough 12 months. Her 25-year syndication run ended in May but she still managed to earn more than anyone else on the list ($165 million) thanks to her empire of spin-off shows (Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray) her magazine and her radio deal with Sirius XM. Winfrey doesn’t earn any money from the struggling OWN cable network. The talk-show legend will now turn her full attention to trying to improve things at OWN. 
 
 Ranking third: Justin Bieber. Only 18, Bieber is making his second appearance on our list. The star earned $55 million in the past year thanks to touring and record sales, but as he explains in our cover story, Bieber is more than just a pop star. He’s also a budding venture capitalist. Bieber has used his fame and fortune to invest in startup companies like Spotify, Tinychat and Enflick. 
 
 With most of our lists we keep it strictly on the money: earnings or net worth. The Celebrity 100 is a little different. This list--which includes film and television actors, TV personalities, models, athletes, authors, musicians and comedians--is based on money and fame. We define fame as media visibility in print, television, radio and online, plus social media power, which we measure by looking at each celebrity's presence on Facebook and Twitter. The earnings consist of pretax income between May 1, 2011, and May 1, 2012. Management, agent and attorney fees are not deducted. Forbes has been publishing the list annually since 1999. 
 
 Crunching all those numbers always ensures we have an interesting slew of new people on the list; this year, Kim and Khloe Kardashian made the cut. Say what you want about the sisters, they know how to stay famous and earn millions. Thanks to the money she earned from her wedding (and the publicity she earned from her divorce just a few months later), Kim ranks seventh with $18 million. Khloe, who now has her own successful spin-off show (Khloe and Lamar), ranks 73rd with $11 million. 
 
 Another newcomer: Ashton Kutcher. The actor, who took over the lead on Two and a Half Men following Charlie Sheen’s very public meltdown, is now one of the highest-paid men on television. (Sheen failed to make the list this year.) He’s also a savvy tech investor who managed to get in early on companies like Skype, Spotify and Airbnb, which is now worth a reported $1 billion. Kutcher, who is a Twitter superstar, got plenty of press attention this year for his personal life as well as his professional life. He split from his wife of six years, Demi Moore, last fall. The actor debuts in 51st place with $24 million. 
 
 Full List: The Celebrity 100 
 
 Follow me on Twitter at DorothyatForbes. ||||| The men and women on our annual Celebrity 100 list--the most powerful people in the entertainment business this year--earned $4.5 billion over the last 12 months by starring in films, playing basketball, walking the catwalk and more. But they also rose to the top by garnering influence. 
 
 These days that means mastering social media. Lady Gaga topples Oprah Winfrey from her No.1 spot on our list, which she's given up for only the third time in seven years. Gaga is there not just because of the $90 million she earned with a monster tour, but also because of her 32 million Facebook fans and 10 million Twitter followers--aka Little Monsters--who helped move 1 million digital downloads of her recent single "Born This Way" in only five days. They're also happy to buy the MAC makeup, Monster headphones and Virgin Mobile phones she features in her videos. 
 
 Complete Coverage: The Celebrity 100 
 
 Slide Show: The Celebrity 100 In Pictures 
 
 Oprah doesn't fall far though. The daytime talk maven, who earned $290 million last year, comes in second. Winfrey's earnings sank $25 million partially due to a reduced payday at SiriusXM. She still earns big from her syndicated show and from the stars she's spawned, including Dr. Phil (No. 18) Rachael Ray and Dr. Oz. Winfrey's earning power will take a bigger hit next year, when her syndicated show ends and she concentrates all her efforts on the struggling OWN network. 
 
 Maybe it would help if Oprah took a lesson from No. 3 Justin Bieber. The Biebs debuts on our list at the tender young age of 17, with $53 million earned over the last 12 months thanks to concerts, music sales and a 3-D documentary movie that grossed $100 million at the global box office. If this were 10 years ago Bieber would still be paying his dues in small clubs and schools, but thanks to the Internet, he's a sensation. His first hit song, "Baby," has been viewed 500 million times, a YouTube record. 
 
 Reality TV it girl Bethenny Frankel is another newbie worth noting. Famous for her newest hit show, Bethenny Ever After, she's used the small-screen platform to promote her Skinnygirl brand, helping her earn $55 million this year. She joins our list in 42nd place. Her entrepreneurial prowess--she sold her Skinnygirl Cocktails to Fortune Brands and nabbed a $100 million cut of the deal paid out over multiple years--also put her on the cover of our magazine this week. 
 
 The Celebrity 100, which includes film and television actors, TV personalities, models, athletes, authors, musicians and comedians, is a measure of entertainment-related earnings and media visibility (exposure in print, television, radio and online). We also measure social media power by looking at each celebrity's presence on Facebook and Twitter. The earnings consist of pretax income between May 1, 2010, and May 1, 2011. Management, agent and attorney fees are not deducted. Forbes has been publishing the list annually since 1999. 
 
 Despite problems on and off the golf course, Tiger Woods still makes the top 10, ranking sixth with $75 million in annual earnings. Woods hasn't won a tournament since the revelation of his marital infidelities in 2009, and he recently withdrew from The Players Championship. But he still commands $3 million a pop for overseas appearances, and collects money from his remaining sponsors, Nike and Electronic Arts . 
 
 Having a much better year: Leonardo DiCaprio. The star makes the biggest leap on our list this year, rising from 71st place to 15th, thanks to two huge movies: Shutter Island and Inception. The latter earned $825 million at the global box office, making it the sixth-highest-earning film of 2010. That went a long way toward helping DiCaprio earn $77 million over the last 12 months. 
 
 Will Smith returns to our list this year thanks to the upcoming Men in Black III, in which he'll reprise his role as Agent J. Smith had fallen off of our list in 2010 because he took time off to nurture the budding careers of his children, Jaden and Willow. Jaden starred in a remake of The Karate Kid (which Smith produced); the film earned $360 million. Smith helped Willow with her hit song "Whip My Hair." The video for the song has been viewed 11 million times. 
 
 Notable drop-offs include Britney Spears, who ranked sixth in 2010 but stumbled this year because she didn't tour. With the Harry Potter franchise coming to an end, Daniel Radcliffe (who ranked 82nd last year) also failed to make the cut. 
 
 Complete Coverage: The Celebrity 100 
 
 Slide Show: The Celebrity 100 In Pictures ||||| They are one of the most famous couples on Earth, yet intensely private — rarely allowing a glimpse of anything but the picture of a marriage and partnership that is constantly, blissfully happy. But a source who has been close to Beyoncé and Jay Z for years tells The Post that all is not well — and hasn’t been for quite some time. This is the first peek behind the firewall that is Beyoncé and Jay Z Inc. — what drew them together, why they’re headed for a split and why love was never the thing that held them together. 
 
 It was a master stroke of marketing: She gave him class, he gave her cred. 
 
 “There’s still something there, even though it’s not going to last,” says the source. “Business is always part of the equation. They know they’re the king and queen of hip-hop — and really, all of music. Neither wants to lose that.” Their current “On the Run” tour is predicted to gross $100 million, according to Forbes — which also ranked Beyoncé the world’s most powerful celebrity of 2014, with Jay Z ranked sixth. Billboard ranked the couple No. 1 on their February 2014 Power 100 list. Their combined net worth, according the International Business Times, is nearly $1 billion 
 
 But in the weeks since Beyoncé’s sister Solange was caught attacking Jay Z in a hotel elevator after the Met Gala, the couple’s tightly controlled image has been crumbling. And while they’ve been pushing back, kissing on stage and playing happy family on Instagram, the source says Jay and Bey are permanently broken, and that both are at fault. “Knowing them as I do, obviously there’s a little something to certain rumors,” the source says. “When your man or your woman isn’t getting it done for you, and I’m talking emotionally, not necessarily sexually … they keep things quiet.” Not for much longer. 
 
 ‘They’re the only sharks’ 
 
 When Jay Z and Beyoncé first got together in 1999, she was a star but a sheltered one. At 19, she still lived with her parents in Houston — dad Matthew, who quit his job at Xerox to manage her career with Destiny’s Child, and mom Tina, who became the group’s stylist. She hinted at being a virgin, and it’s reported that she left school at 14. Jay Z, then 30, had emerged from the Brooklyn projects as a hip-hop powerhouse. Having released his critically acclaimed debut “Reasonable Doubt” in 1996, he had a breakthrough commercial smash with 1998’s “Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life.” A year later, Jay Z was arrested for allegedly stabbing producer Lance “Un” Rivera in a dispute over bootlegging; Jay pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and walked away with three years’ probation. Jay Z and Beyoncé have always been circumspect about the beginnings of their romance, even as they stoked intrigue with their collaborations. 
 
 After breaking with Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé’s next project was a duet with Jay on his “’03 Bonnie and Clyde,” and in the video, they played a hip-hop version of the outlaw couple. When Beyoncé released her first solo album, 2003’s “Dangerously in Love,” Jay appeared on two tracks — including the first single and video for “Crazy in Love.” 
 
 It was a master stroke of marketing: She gave him class, he gave her cred. Jay Z was infatuated with Beyoncé, says the source, but the bottom line was business; he knew he could do big things for her, and together they could be a juggernaut. For Beyoncé, however, it was a slower burn. According to an interview with the website Celebuzz, her uncle Larry Beyince said that initially his niece had no interest. “He was after her and she wasn’t,” Beyince said. “She told me she wasn’t too fond of him … I guess she wasn’t attracted to him.” 
 
 The source says Beyoncé was most interested in Jay’s mind. “Jay’s a kingmaker; she recognized that. This was a come-up for her, no question. She had to learn the ropes as presented by Jay — but really, this was mostly about business.” As for dating others, he says, “they each had guilty pleasures.” The source believes that, along the way, she did really fall for Jay Z, and her parents, who had groomed Beyoncé to be a star from a very young age, were fine with it — for a time. 
 
 But Matthew Knowles — who was described by former Destiny’s Child member LaTavia Roberson as “a drill sergeant” who made the girls work hours a day, seven days a week — slowly found himself edged out of his daughter’s life and career by Jay Z. Beyoncé had gone from one man to another, never truly being on her own. 
 
 “There’s no bigger controller than Jay,” the source says. “She’s great, but she’d be a little lower on the totem pole if it weren’t for hooking up with him.” In terms of ambition, talent, business acumen and work ethic, Beyoncé and Jay Z were perfectly matched. “They are solid, solid business people who know what they’re doing,” says the source, with Jay the mastermind. Their image, joint and separate, is based on exclusivity and unavailability; everything from the drop date of an album (2013’s “Beyoncé,” with its surprise one-day onslaught of 14 tracks and 17 videos) to a baby (Blue Ivy, born on a cleared-out hospital floor in NYC) is shrouded in mystery. Instead of interviews, they post to Instagram or drop clues in their lyrics. Beyoncé herself has spent every single day since 2005 being trailed by her own personal camera crew, which documents each waking moment of her life. 
 
 In 2013, Beyoncé told GQ magazine that she stores the footage in a climate-controlled warehouse based on the NBC library. “I now know that yes, I am powerful,” she told GQ. “I’m more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand.” “They don’t subscribe to that ‘teach-a-person-to-fish’ thing,” says the source. “They’ll give you a fish once in a while, but they let everyone know that they’re the only sharks in the water. Jay hangs with some of the crew from [his company] Roc Nation, but he’s doing bigger things than even they can keep up with. And Beyoncé only really gives her sister Solange and [ex-Destiny’s Child members] Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams any real love. But even they can’t swing by without first getting clearance.” 
 
 ‘Business first’ 
 
 And it can be hard to stay in touch — Beyoncé and Jay Z both change their cellphone numbers every two weeks. Even other celebrities aren’t immune to quality control. It’s not whom they hang out with, says the source — “it’s who hangs out with them.” According to the source, they shunned Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s wedding because it was too low-rent for the Jay Z/Beyoncé brand. “They are guarding like hell their status,” the source says. “Beyoncé wasn’t going to allow a Kardashian to socially climb her. And Jay didn’t want Kanye with Kim — he thinks it’s bad for business. I think Jay lost a little respect for Kanye there.” 
 
 Over the past few months, says the source, Beyoncé has been losing respect for Jay Z and, ever on-brand, she’s been dropping hints. While performing “Resentment” during the couple’s June 28 show in Cincinnati, Beyoncé changed the lyrics from “Been ridin’ with you for six years” to “Been ridin’ with you for 12 years.” That would reference the year they became a couple. 
 
 “Solange was like, ‘Enough is enough — you must be [screwing] Rihanna.’ - Solange, according to source 
 
 And after the lyric “I gotta look at her in her eyes and see she’s had half of me,” Beyoncé tacked on the lines, “She ain’t even half of me/That bitch will never be.” Recent photos show that the “IV” tattooed on her ring finger — for her birthday, Jay’s birthday, and their wedding date — has been erased. 
 
 The source says the elevator fight after the Met Ball was really over Jay’s protégé Rihanna, whom he allegedly planned to meet later that night at his 40/40 club. “Solange was like, ‘Enough is enough — you must be [screwing] Rihanna,’” says the source. “To many people who know them, they know it’s not out of the realm of possibility.” 
 
 Today, the source says, it’s not whether they’ll split, but how they’ll split — adding that the only time Jay and Beyoncé are really together is on stage. They’re allegedly traveling with marriage counselors, but Jay — as he’s always done — spends much of his time on the phone, tending to business. “His phone’s constantly ringing,” says the source, “Jay trying to make deal after deal.” Calls to representatives for the couple by The Post were not returned. 
 
 The question now is whether to stay married while essentially living separate lives — becoming the Bill and Hillary of hip-hop — or publicly divorce. Ultimately, it will be about the brand. “There’s face-saving involved — they don’t want to be looked at like other celebrities out there,” says the source. “They are business people first, entertainers second. Husband and wife comes somewhere down the line.”
– Being rich doesn't always accompany being famous, especially when living a rock star lifestyle, but a handful of A-list musicians have managed to turn their celebrity into successful business ventures: Jessica Simpson: You wouldn't expect a pop singer/reality star who didn't know the difference between chicken and tuna to morph into a fashion mogul, but that's the case of Jessica Simpson. She recently sold a 50% stake in her empire of clothing, shoes, and bags that's said to be worth more than $1 billion. Jay Z: The music mogul once rapped: "I’m not a businessman / I’m a business, man!" The rapper now can count clothing, sports bars, liquor, fragrances, a basketball team, and a music streaming service among his many ventures. Gwen Stefani: The No Doubt vocalist once sang of being "just a girl," but in addition to her solo career and gig on The Voice, she has managed to create a fashion company reportedly worth more than $90 million. Justin Timberlake: The former boy band singer has his hand in many businesses including a clothing line, record label, restaurant, basketball team, and most recently, his own brand of tequila. Gene Simmons: The KISS singer and bassist is reportedly worth more than $300 million, thanks to his role as the band's finance manager and his idea to license tons of merchandise. "Life is business, and I approach life the way sharks approach life—they must keep moving or else they will drown," he recently said in an interview. Click to read about 15 celebrity businesses that went belly up.