How Business Managers Say No to Very Famous People

No. It's not a word often heard by A-list talent. But last year, New York-based business manager Evan Bell says he "begged and pleaded" when client Steven Soderbergh came to him and wanted to pour his savings into the development of a movie. The plan, explained Bell, would violate the cardinal rule of Hollywood: Never spend your own money. But Soderbergh didn't listen. He split the $6.5 million production budget with star-producer Channing Tatum, and the movie, Magic Mike, went on to gross more than $150 million globally this summer. "I looked foolish once again," jokes Bell.