Job stability is a blessing, but keeping a good side hustle is what any fiscally responsible person would do. While being a famed R&B singer, an established Hip Hop star, an award-winning actor, or a beloved pro athlete may mean financial security in the present, the future is still uncertain. Many of those so blessed still keep their revenue streams diversified with some interesting, and often lucrative side businesses.
Entertainers are naturally creative, so it only makes sense that those tendencies aren't limited to their main profession, and they find themselves in a whole different industry. While tours, shows, tournaments, and albums may keep them busy, some downtime is inevitable. Also, the reality is that a nice bonus stream of extra income may come in handy for a rainy day.
And when the side hustle is successful, it means these celebrities have found another audience to cater to, which lends itself to even more financial stability. Consider it a win-win for all those involved.
Check out some of the more interesting side businesses of some of your favorite athletes, musical talents, actors, and stars below.
1. Pusha T
Pusha T has become a name-brand rapper thanks to his rhyming talents as a soloist and as a member of the critically acclaimed duo Clipse with his brother, Malice. Along with managing a healthy rap career, the Virginia MC is the owner of a medical transportation company. While appearing on "Assets Over Liabilities" in 2024, he detailed how he invested in a friend’s business, which eventually became Caring Hands Medical Transportation. It quickly scaled from a couple of vans to 25 vehicles in the state of Virginia that usher people to their medical visits.
2. Slim Thug
Listen to enough Slim Thug, and you’re bound to hear him rap about a business endeavor, or two, or three. One of those ventures is investing in real estate throughout Texas. On "Assets Over Liabilities," the Already Platinum rapper discussed how he maintains his wealth. Besides being careful with his spending and controlling his masters, he co-founded Boss Life Construction, a real estate development firm that builds affordable housing in his Houston hometown.
3. Venus Williams
Venus Williams, a superstar tennis player in her own right, has always been way more than just Serena’s big sister. While she’s still competing on the pro tennis circuit in her 40s, she’s also been running her own interior design business for more than two decades. V Starr is the name of the award-winning, Florida-based firm she launched way back in 2002 when she was just 23 years old.
4. Paul Wall
Being a Houston rapper and having a side gig is practically a requirement (see Slim Thug and Bun B on this same list). Paul Wall has been known for his grillz (boldly crafted dental jewelry, basically) as much as his rap bars throughout his career. The "Sittin' Sidewayz" rapper partnered with celebrity jeweler Johnny Dang to open Johnny Dang & Co. The Houston-based store has been outfitting both rappers and civilians with custom grillz since 2016.
5. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Can you smell what The Rock is…drinking? Former pro wrestling star turned box office juggernaut Dwayne Johnson actually has numerous side businesses on his resume. But one particularly interesting entry is ZOA Energy. Johnson is the “Chief Energy Officer” of the zero-sugar energy drink, which he touts as "health and wellness" and "great healthy energy."
6. Rick Ross
Rick Ross has long been a prolific fan of lemon pepper-flavored chicken wings, so teaming with Wingstop was a no-brainer. The Miami rapper is an owner of multiple Wingstop franchises. Reportedly, he acquired his first Wingstop in Memphis in 2011, and he has since secured over 30 stores.
7. Bun B
Bun B is the Southern rap empresario who came to fame as a member of UGK with the late, great Pimp C. The gregarious OG rap ambassador opened his Trill Burgers restaurant in June 2023 to critical acclaim, and it has been living up to the hype ever since. Trill Burgers actually began as a pop-up in 2021 and then as a kiosk in NRG Stadium before the arrival of its brick-and-mortar store in Houston. “This was a calculated effort to create a dining experience,” Bun told Texas Monthly. “There is so much that was put into this burger, in terms of how long do we smash it? What is the right sauce mixture? How many slices of pickles? Should the onions be thin-sliced? The thick-sliced, caramelized ones are wrong. All of these different things went into creating this burger, from the texture of the patty being crispy to the softness of the bun.” Word.
8. Rihanna
After ANTI, Rihanna took a break from music for over 10 years. Besides motherhood duties, another reason she’s probably felt no rush to get back into the studio is the success of her Savage X Fenty lingerie brand. Since its launch in 2018 with lingerie, sleepwear, and accessories, it has been a runaway smash with new collections routinely selling out as soon as they’re available. And we can’t forget to mention Fenty Skin, which featured Rihanna’s partner A$AP Rocky in a recent ad campaign. You gotta keep it in the family, right?
9. Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean is known for stepping away from making music for years at a time. But, in between albums, fans seeking some connection to the renowned singer's talents are in luck if they happen to be into luxury jewelry, too. In 2021, he launched Homer, described as "an independent American luxury company founded by Frank Ocean." The "Novacane" singer expresses his creativity by designing the brand's pendants, necklaces, and more, and Homer has stores in New York City, London, and Los Angeles.