1. Actors, Artists and Politicians Who Invest in Tech
When you think of high-tech, names like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg, and Steve
Jobs immediately come to mind. However, many are surprised to find that a few
unlikely names from a completely different world have also made significant
contributions to this important part of our everyday world. Here is a list of actors,
artists, and politicians who have made investing in tech a regular part of their lives:
1. Will Ferrell
In 2007, this comedian launched a video website that was destined for comedy
history. Funny or Die has done more than just survive for the past four years.
Offering comedic clips featuring the best Hollywood stars and headlining
comedians, this site has more than 11 million distinct visitors in an average month
in addition to generating a movie contract, a TV show, and a possible book deal.
2. Dr. Dre
With a custom-line of headphones, Dr. Dre crossed over from the music industry to
tech. His goal is to fully integrate these two segments of the business community,
and he’s accomplishing his goal through a partnership with Monster, Best Buy, and
HP.
3. William Shatner
It’s no surprise that the infamous Captain Kirk of Star Trek fame has continued his
voyage into the future of tech. He’s not only the face of Priceline.com, he’s a part
owner. He’s taken stock instead of cash payment for acting as the company
spokesperson.
4. Bono
This U2 frontman isn’t just the mastermind behind Spiderman, the latest craze to
hit Broadway. He also makes it a regular practice to invest in tech and has
supported famous projects like Palm, Yelp, and Facebook. To complete the picture,
Blackberry has sponsored a previous tour and Apple released a special U2-edition
of the iPod.
5. Justin Timberlake

2. Justin Timberlake has not only invested a small fortune in the troubled Myspace
social-networking site, but he’s taking an active role in shaping the future direction
of the company. He plans to meet Facebook and Twitter head on and is already
starting the tour of morning news shows talking about his plans as part owner to
take full advantage of his celebrity status.
6. Michael Bloomberg
This political giant’s goal is to create an image of a tech-friendly Big Apple that
will rival Silicon Valley. Of course, when you consider that Mr. Bloomberg got his
start in information media services, this should come as no surprise. So far, he has
presented the keys to the city to a variety of high-tech entrepreneurs and created
Foursquare Day.
7. Stephen Fry
Between his job as a writer, actor, and comedian, you would think that this Brit
wouldn’t have a spare minute to dedicate to the world of high tech. However, he
has a reputation for supporting start-ups including Pushnote. He’s a big believer in
the open-source movement and was a featured speaker at a London event for the
Microsoft Windows Phone 7 product in 2010.
8. MC Hammer
While the world has been laughing at MC Hammer’s failed music career, this hip-
hop artist has been laughing all the way to the bank. He started his venture into
tech with a little-known site called YouTube and is now so well-respected in the
field that he gives lectures at both the Stanford Business School and the Wharton
Business Technology Conference. His current project includes DanceJam, his own
website.