Jay-Z And Beyonce: World's Highest Paid Celebrity Couple

[NelsonG]

By Jocelyn Vena

Well this should come as no surprise. Forbes has revealed that Jay-Z and Beyonce are the world's highest paid celebrity couple.

The music moguls rose to the top of the ranks after getting beat out by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen back in 2011.

This year, despite Beyoncé's seemingly lower profile in the music world, she still managed to rack in $40 million thanks to her many ventures in and out of music, including her 2011 album 4. As for Hova, well, Forbes notes he brought in slightly less with an income of $38 million thanks to his Watch the Throne album and tour with Kanye West, as well as his own enterprises outside of music.

While their combined $78 million makes them the couple to beat, last year's #1 couple Gisele and Tom are following close at #2 with $72 million in a combined salary. They've earned their keep on the list through modeling gigs (for both partners) and his contract with the Patriots, which runs through 2014.

What other power couples made the list? Well, Posh Spice Victoria Beckham and her Los Angeles Galaxy soccer-playing hubby, David Beckham, come in at #3, but are more than $20 million behind in salary. But don't feel too bad for them: They raked in a combined $54 million through endorsement deals, clothing lines and royalties. The Forbes list is compiled using data taken between May 1, 2011 and May 1, 2012. In that time, the #4 couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, walked away with a combined $45 million. They earned their money as actors in both big- and small-budget films, and through modeling gigs like Jolie's with Louis Vuitton.

The final couple in the top 5 is Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Their $40 million was made thanks to investments, endorsements and bankable roles in films like "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" and "Men In Black 3."

[url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/08/08/jay-z-beyonce-worlds-highest-paid-celebrity-couple/]View the full article[/url]