Power couples seem to have it all -- both partners are inspirational, hardworking breadwinners. They work together and learn from each other. They see themselves as equals, and motivate one another with a healthy sense of competition. This is the sort of relationship that I aspire to be in. Here are four dynamic duos that have taken the world by storm with their balance of power, love and support.
1. Will Smith + Jada Pinkett-Smith.
Actress-songwriter-businesswoman Jada Pinkett-Smith and actor-producer-rapper-songwriter Will Smith have been married for 18 years and have two children together -- Jaden and Willow (who are talented in their own right).
Both have established music careers, and have starred in numerous films and television shows. Jada started her own music company and clothing line, and also published a children’s book entitled, “Girls Hold Up This World.” Her husband, Will, has also had his share of success, winning four Grammy awards and receiving multiple Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.
The pair started the Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation, which is dedicated to providing family support and aiding inner-city youth.
When we got started, we both truly connected on wanting to be better… Our whole world and relationship was that, 'Hey, I know that I may not be all of that today, but what I’m not going to do is lay around and not keep working to be better to deserve you.' Will Smith.
2. Sylvia Plath + Ted Hughes.
This posthumous poetry power couple met at a party at the University of Cambridge in 1956 and married four months later. Sylvia Plath was a poet, novelist and short story writer, credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry. She authored the semi-autobiographical novel, “The Bell Jar,” and won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for “The Collected Poems.” Her husband, Ted Hughes, who was an English poet and children’s writer, is noted by critics as one of the best poets of his generation. In 1984, he was appointed British Poet Laureate.
When two genuinely original, ambitious, full-time poets join in one marriage… every poem one writes probably feels to the other as though it had been dug out of his or her own skull. Ted Hughes
3. Bill + Melinda Gates.
Bill and Melinda first met in 1987 at a press event for Microsoft, of which Bill is a co-founder. The Gates,’ who were married in 1994, are one of the wealthiest couples in the world and were ranked as the second most generous philanthropists in America. Both serve as co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest and most important private foundations in the world. The foundation aims to enhance global healthcare and reduce extreme poverty, as well as expand educational opportunities and access to technology in the U.S. The couple’s hard work and investments are evident in the foundation's $42.3 billion endowment.
I think if you share a passion around something -- anything -- getting to discuss that routinely, getting to work on it together, it’s a whole other level -- at least that’s been our experience -- that it can take your relationship to. Melinda Gates
4. Beyoncé + Jay-Z.
He’s a rapper, record producer and entrepreneur. She’s a singer, songwriter and actress. Together, they are one of the most iconic power couples in the music industry. Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who married in 2008, have been together for nearly 13 years. From her start in the popular girl group, Destiny’s Child, to her career as one of the bestselling music artists of all time, Beyoncé’s journey has been full of success. Similarly, Jay-Z is also one of the world’s bestselling artists, consistently ranked as one of the best rappers, ever. He is also an entrepreneur and investor -- the co-creator of the clothing line Rocawear and co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, among other things. Between them, they have won over 40 Grammy awards and sold hundreds of millions of albums.
If you’re with the right person, it brings out the best version of you. Beyoncé
