Five years ago, Lady Gaga did not exist. Then 19, Stefani Germanotta was waitressing and singing in dirty New York clubs. But she had bigger goals. "Don't ask me how or why," she sings in "The Fame," her debut anthology'south title rail, which recalls the genesis of her career, "but I'm gonna make it happen."

Gaga broke through last yr as a global phenomenon, musing on "disco sticks," channeling Madonna's glitter-glam fashion, and cribbing shock-rock performance notes from Alice Cooper. Some critics say she'south derivative. But Gaga has washed something unprecedented, melding her inspirations with au courant dance pop and Web savvy to build a business organisation empire notable for both the speed of its creation and the variety of its platforms.

At present 24, she reigns over a brand that spans music (ten 1000000-plus albums sold), video (ane billion-plus Web views), design (Monster headphones, Polaroid cameras), and marketing (HP, MAC Cosmetics). "No other artist commands the kind of attention that Gaga does," says Gabe McDonough, an exec at the advertising agency DDB. "If she does something with your brand, information technology's like bam!–a million eyeballs."

It'southward difficult to look away: Gaga is ubiquitous, largely because she deftly exploits the Spider web. "Her persona is congenital for the online generation," says MAC caput John Demsey, with whom she created a shade of Viva Glam lipstick that has raised $2.ii one thousand thousand for AIDS sensation. (It was Viva Glam's most successful launch ever.) Her cultish ground forces of fans mimic her dance moves on YouTube, uploading 15,000-plus videos. They devour her musings on Twitter, where @ladygaga has 3.viii million followers, and Facebook, where 6.4 million people have declared themselves fans. To keep them engaged, she gives cheers in real fourth dimension, tweeting in support of a Tennessee educatee sent domicile for wearing an I ♥ Lady Gay Gay T-shirt and posting a photo of her tattoo that reads Niggling Monsters, her nickname for her fans. Her outlandish fashion sense seems tailor-made for online slide shows; she was the virtually-Googled image of 2009.

While other pop tarts sell tabloids and Auto-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 metal bustier–that define her concerts and her controversial videos, which drive a full 25% of the music site Vevo'due south traffic. "Bad Romance" alone has racked up some 200 million plays on YouTube; it's the site'due south No. 1 prune of all time.

Gaga's videos obviously promote herself, but they also tout her partners' products, such as Monster'due south Heartbeats headphones and HP's Envy 15 Beats Express 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 land that we are." The references "actually assist her artistic statement," McDonough says. "Not having them would be like making a moving-picture show nearly hockey and not having ads on the boards."

Beyond serving its queen and mammon, the Gaga empire stresses social enterprise. "When nosotros arroyo most artists, information technology's 'Here's what nosotros desire to do,' and nosotros're done," says Ron Faris of Virgin Mobile, a sponsor of Gaga'south U.South. tour. But she set conditions: The linkup had to involve her fans and her causes. So Virgin created a shrine to the Little Monsters (ladyvirgin.com) and gave prove tickets to those who did community service, helping generate 30,000 hours nationwide.

She has too wowed in the boardroom. When Polaroid CMO Jon Pollock met her to talk over teaming upwards, he says he expected "a conversation virtually pink boas." Instead, she offered insights nearly digital strategy and how to position Polaroid to reach her generation. Impressed, Pollock gave Gaga artistic control of several products. "Her blueprint, her experience, her way of thinking all piece of work at a unlike level."

The enthusiasm was mutual. Gaga proudly posted a photo of her "creative managing director" concern card–her get-go–and said, "I am and then excited … to, as my father puts it, finally have a real job."–Dan Macsai

For some people, fame kills it and becomes more than of import than the music or the functioning. But for me fame is like rocket fuel. The more my fans like what I'm doing, the more I want to give back to them. And my passion is so stiff I tin can't slumber–I oasis't slept for three days.

I'grand already crazy. I'chiliad 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 then that'south my destiny. But my passion still means more than than anything.

I notice on stage, I expect out into the audition and there are coke cans bobbing upward and downward everywhere. I love the fact my fans accept picked upwardly on something I actually but did as bit of fun and a comment on consumerism. My one tip is to make sure they are washed out properly!

m already crazy. I'yard a fearless person. I think it creeps upward on you. I don't think information technology tin exist stopped. If my destiny is to lose my mind because of fame, so that's my destiny. But my passion still means m