Jay Z and wife Beyonce are Forbe's highest paid Couple

Rapper-entrepreneur Jay Z and pop singer Beyoncé have been announced as the 2012 highest-paid celebrity couple, according to Forbes.

The star couple who welcomed their first child Blue Ivy Carter in January 2012 moved up the list from second place – earning a combined total of $78m between May 1, 2011 and May 1, 2012.

The couple assumed the ‘throne’ knocking off last year’s top couple Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady. A big part of that success is attributed to platinum albums from Bey (‘4’) and Jay Z’s collaboration with Kanye West (‘Watch the Throne’).

Supermodel Gisele and her American footballer husband Tom Brady now come in second with $72m, British footballer David Beckham and wife Victoria with $54m in third, Hollywood couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with $45 million in fourth and in fifth position - Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith with Combined earnings of $40m.