Contrary to our April Fools “honorees,” some in the pop culture stratosphere actually amazed us with their intelligence and business acumen over the past year. Here are some of the more notable selections.
 

MARION COTILLARD
We don't personally know Cotillard, who rose to American prominence last month when she nabbed the Best Actress Oscar for her role in “La Vie en Rose,” though we can only imagine she's highly intelligent. How else do you explain the French beauty adhering so closely to the “How to Win an Oscar/Make More Money Handbook,” which consists of three simple steps:
- Ugly it up on screen (Cotillard did so later in the film)
- Win an Oscar
- Earn bigger paydays

PEREZ HILTON
Once known for little more than outing closeted celebrities and sketching crude doodlings on his blog, the world's foremost authority on celebrity blogging has parlayed his Web site into a reality television show, a reported record deal with Warner Bros., merchandising profits and a book deal. In other words, Hilton (born Mario Lavandeira) has built a media empire. Not bad for a guy who borrowed his pseudonym from, of all people, Paris Hilton.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS MANAGEMENT
While their Western Conference counterparts made desperation moves in hopes of keeping pace with the defending champion Spurs, the Lakers' front office managed to acquire 27-year-old star forward Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for what amounted to the NBA equivalent of spare change. All Gasol has done since joining Kobe Bryant in L.A. is average more than 20 points and seven rebounds per game, while helping the Lakers become the prohibitive favorites to win the NBA title.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.
We already knew Mayweather was the world's best pound-for-pound boxer, but little did we know he's also a master negotiator. The undefeated WBC Welterweight champion, somehow convinced World Wrestling Entertainment to pay him $20 million to wrestle Paul “The Big Show” Wight at WrestleMania 24 on Sunday, March 30. And by “wrestle,” we mean “fake wrestle” ..... for about 15 minutes ..... for $20 million!!! No wonder Mayweather's nickname is “Money.”