Dr. Dre may not have a release date for his new disc, but he is taking care of business with his audio company Beats Electronic (BE). The company, created with Universal Music’s Interscope Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine, is responsible for launching celebrity-endorsed headphones like Justin Beiber’s Justbeats, Lady Gaga’s Heartbeats, and Dre’s own Powerbeats.
BE just inked the deal to sell 51 percent of the company to smartphone manufacturer HTC for $309 million. In an interview on www.goodgearguide.com, Iovine commented that the partnership “is an opportunity for two world-class companies to redefine the smart phone industry and define the future.”
Even with the HTC investment, BE will continue to operate autonomously under the leadership of Iovine.
