Five years agone, Lady Gaga did non exist. Then 19, Stefani Germanotta was waitressing and singing in muddy New York clubs. Just she had bigger goals. "Don't ask me how or why," she sings in "The Fame," her debut anthology's title track, which recalls the genesis of her career, "merely I'thousand gonna get in happen."

Gaga broke through terminal twelvemonth as a global phenomenon, musing on "disco sticks," channeling Madonna's glitter-glam manner, and cribbing shock-stone performance notes from Alice Cooper. Some critics say she'south derivative. But Gaga has done something unprecedented, melding her inspirations with au courant trip the light fantastic pop and Web savvy to build a business empire notable for both the speed of its creation and the diversity of its platforms.

Now 24, she reigns over a brand that spans music (ten million-plus albums sold), video (1 billion-plus Web views), design (Monster headphones, Polaroid cameras), and marketing (HP, MAC Cosmetics). "No other artist commands the kind of attending that Gaga does," says Gabe McDonough, an exec at the ad agency DDB. "If she does something with your brand, information technology'southward similar bam!–a meg eyeballs."

It's hard to look away: Gaga is ubiquitous, largely because she deftly exploits the Web. "Her persona is built for the online generation," says MAC head John Demsey, with whom she created a shade of Viva Glam lipstick that has raised $two.2 million for AIDS sensation. (It was Viva Glam's almost successful launch ever.) Her cultish ground forces of fans mimic her trip the light fantastic moves on YouTube, uploading 15,000-plus videos. They devour her musings on Twitter, where @ladygaga has 3.viii meg followers, and Facebook, where half-dozen.4 one thousand thousand people take declared themselves fans. To keep them engaged, she gives thanks in real fourth dimension, tweeting in support of a Tennessee student sent home for wearing an I ♥ Lady Gay Gay T-shirt and posting a photo of her tattoo that reads Little Monsters, her nickname for her fans. Her outlandish manner sense seems tailor-made for online slide shows; she was the most-Googled image of 2009.

While other pop tarts sell tabloids and Machine-Tune their voices, the Lady cultivates her brand with near-military rigor. In 2008, she handpicked several friends to form a artistic team that she calls Haus of Gaga. Together, they produce look-at-me fashions–a nude, bubble-covered bodysuit, a flame-shooting metallic bustier–that define her concerts and her controversial videos, which drive a full 25% of the music site Vevo's traffic. "Bad Romance" lone has racked up some 200 meg plays on YouTube; information technology's the site'south No. 1 clip of all fourth dimension.

Gaga'due south videos manifestly promote herself, but they also tout her partners' products, such as Monster'southward Heartbeats headphones and HP'due south Envy 15 Beats Limited Edition laptop, which cameo in "Bad Romance." She features unaffiliated brands, such as Wonder Bread, using them for what she calls "a commentary on the kind of country that nosotros are." The references "really help her artistic statement," McDonough says. "Not having them would be like making a movie about hockey and not having ads on the boards."

Beyond serving its queen and mammon, the Gaga empire stresses social enterprise. "When we approach virtually artists, information technology's 'Here'due south what we want to do,' and we're washed," says Ron Faris of Virgin Mobile, a sponsor of Gaga's U.S. tour. But she fix conditions: The linkup had to involve her fans and her causes. So Virgin created a shrine to the Little Monsters (ladyvirgin.com) and gave evidence tickets to those who did customs service, helping generate 30,000 hours nationwide.

She has also wowed in the boardroom. When Polaroid CMO Jon Pollock met her to hash out teaming up, he says he expected "a conversation almost pinkish boas." Instead, she offered insights virtually digital strategy and how to position Polaroid to reach her generation. Impressed, Pollock gave Gaga creative control of several products. "Her design, her feel, her way of thinking all piece of work at a different level."

The enthusiasm was mutual. Gaga proudly posted a photo of her "artistic managing director" business card–her first–and said, "I am so excited … to, as my father puts it, finally have a existent task."–Dan Macsai

For some people, fame kills it and becomes more important than the music or the performance. Merely for me fame is like rocket fuel. The more my fans like what I'grand doing, the more than I desire to give back to them. And my passion is so potent I tin can't slumber–I haven't slept for iii days.

I'thou already crazy. I'm a fearless person. I think it creeps up on y'all. I don't think it tin can be stopped. If my destiny is to lose my mind because of fame, and then that's my destiny. Merely my passion still means more than anything.

I notice on stage, I wait out into the audience and there are coke cans bobbing up and downwards everywhere. I beloved the fact my fans have picked upward on something I really only did as chip of fun and a comment on consumerism. My i tip is to brand sure they are washed out properly!

one thousand already crazy. I'one thousand a fearless person. I think it creeps up on you. I don't think it can be stopped. If my destiny is to lose my mind because of fame, and so that's my destiny. But my passion nevertheless means m