The Stars of The Recession

It's only when darkness falls that the stars start to twinkle. Similarly, sometimes it takes a pitch-black economy to reveal who and what in the business firmament really shines. Although they're not likely to get their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the people, companies and places on our list have shown that they can not only survive an economic tsunami, they can surf its crest to the top.

INVESTORS
John Paulson: Paulson & Co.
John Paulson is the King Midas of the hedge-fund world. In 2008, a year in which the average fund was down by 18 percent, Paulson's funds increased by as much as 25 percent, after a smart decision to short bank stocks. That's nothing compared to his 2007 performance, though, when bets against subprime mortgages paid off--big time. His funds returned 600 percent that year, earning him a $3.7 billion payout, the industry's largest ever.
25% portfolio gain

Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Universa
These days Taleb, a former Chicago options trader, is more of a public intellectual than market player. But as an adviser to Universa Investments, a California-based hedge fund, he still has a playground to test his theories. His big idea is that humans misjudge the possibility of huge market movements, preferring to believe in the lie of predictable returns. Last year proved him wildly right, and by exploiting this mental block, Universa's investors doubled their money.
115% portfolio gain

COMPANIES
Toyota: The strong become stronger
The company has warned that it will likely post its first annual loss in seven decades this year. But thanks to Detroit's woes, on a relative basis Toyota's prospects have never been better. Auto expert Paul Ingrassia recently wrote that the smart bet is that "Toyota will emerge in a stronger competitive position when the world economy starts to recover."
$27.9 Total cash held, in billions

Wal-Mart:Always High profits
Of the Dow Jones Industrial Average's 30 stocks, only two showed green at year's end: McDonald's, up 5.6 percent, and Wal-Mart, up almost 20 percent. Even in November, after the worst waves of the crisis had crashed ashore, Wal-Mart's same-store sales were up by 3.4 percent.
18% Stock gain in 2008, the best return in the djia

THE ARTS
Beyonc é : No. 1 diva
She can still sell records--her new album, "I Am … Sasha Fierce," debuted in the top spot in November, and sold 482,000 copies. But she also knows how to exploit the do-it-yourself ethos of these sparse times. Her "Single Ladies" video is in black-and-white and features little more than a gray backdrop, flashing lights and some choreography, but it's been viewed 26 million times on YouTube and spawned countless imitators.
12 consecutive Weeks on the Billboard Hot 100