Hard works pays off. Mr. and Mrs. Carter, better known as Jay-Z and Beyoncé, are Hollywood’s top-earning couple for the second year in a row.
According to Forbes, hip-hop’s first couple earned a combined $122 million between June 2008 and June 2009, putting them at No. 1 on the magazine’s Top-Earning Hollywood Couples list.
Jay and Bey both contributed significantly to their joint earnings, but the Mrs. pulled in more money than her husband during the time period, bringing in $87 million to his $35 million. They also topped last year’s list with $162 million, roughly half coming from each star.
Aside from performing in sold-out arenas, both artists have lucrative endorsement deals and business ventures. Beyoncé is a spokesperson for American Express, L’Oréal, and Nintendo, while her husband has attached his name to brands such as Budweiser, HP, and Activision.
Following in a distant second is Harrison Ford and his girlfriend, Calista Flockhart, who earned a combined $69 million, $53 million less than Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Other high-profile couples who made the list include Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and David and Victoria Beckham.