15 celebrities you didn't realize own major business empires

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We fell for Paul Newman's acting talents long before we bought his salad dressing.

And Dr. Dre mapped the future of hip-hop before his Beats headphones made him incredibly rich. 

Actors and musicians often step outside of entertainment and expand their names' power into the retail, restaurant, liquor, and investment industries.

Sometimes, these side businesses rake in enough that it's surprising they aren't what the celebrity is primarily known for.

Check out these 15 celebrities who invested in other areas and hit big:

Ashton Kutcher — A-Grade Investments

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You have a lot to thank Ashton Kutcher for.

The “That ‘70s Show” actor’s A-Grade Investments put money into Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, Shazam, and Soundcloud. In 2010, Kutcher cofounded the venture-capital firm, which invests in technology startups (“problem solvers,” he said), with entertainment manager Guy Oseary.

In 2011, The New York Times reported that the investments likely ranged from $50,000 to $200,000. TechTimes reported that he had $100 million worth of investments in 2014. So it’s not hard to understand why he tried to do some free promotion on “Two and a Half Men.”

Magic Johnson — Magic Johnson Enterprises

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The NBA legend founded his investment company in 1987 with a mission to strengthen urban and underserved communities.

Throughout the history of the company, he's had deals with Pepsi-Cola, Sony Retail Entertainment (to create the multiplexes of Magic Johnson Theatres), T.G.I. Friday’s, Founders National Bank, 24 Hour Fitness, Burger King, Best Buy, and more. In 2010, his deals to sell his stake in the Los Angeles Lakers and his 125 Starbucks stores netted him about $100 million. In 2012, he became co-owner of the LA Dodgers, a purchase of $2 billion. MJE is reportedly worth $1 billion.

Magic on the basketball court, and magic in the boardroom.

Jessica Alba — The Honest Company

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In 2011, the “Dark Angel” and “Fantastic Four” actress cofounded The Honest Company, which supplies nontoxic household products and has a promise of transparency with its Honestly FREE Guarantee to tell customers the origins of the products. Though its claims have faced scrutiny, the company was valued at $1.7 billion in 2015. That’s a lot of diapers sold.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider