GlobalBX

Robert L Johnson is one of the most recognisable African American faces in the United States today. As an entrepreneur and a billionaire, Robert Johnson has worked hard to get to where he is today. As the creator and founder of Black Entertainment Television, Johnson has made a massive impact on the visibility of African American issues in the public eye. As such, the entrepreneur is one of the most esteemed figures in the world of the rich and successful today.

Humble Beginnings

Robert Johnson was born on April 8, 1946 in Hickory, Mississippi, the ninth of ten children. His parents moved after Mississippi soon after Johnson was born and so he spent the vast majority of his early year in Freeport, Illinois. The budding entrepreneur always excelled at his studies, so much so that he was accepted into the University of Illinois for a degree in history and then for his Master’s degree at Princeton. He graduated in 1972. Johnson always had aspirations that elevated him above his peers. He was proud of being an African American and vowed to use his own talents to promote pride as far as possible.

Robert Johnson In The Media

The entrepreneur liked the idea of using the media to communicate with his peers because it could reach a far wider audience than would be possible through any other medium. His business skills enabled him to get funding for his fledgling business and also enabled him to turn his dreams into a reality. In 1980, Black Entertainment Television was launched and purposely targeted Black Americans all over the country. It appeared on cable for two hours every week to begin with but popular demand soon mounted so the station broadcast daily and then all day. It was soon attracting the attention of people all over the country and its popularity grew in no time at all.

Slowly but surely, Johnson noticed that he was alone in a very niche market that gave him and other Black Americans a forum. That forum expanded when the entrepreneur believed that there was a market for expansion. This led to the establishing of other BET stations including BET Hip-Hop, BET Gospel and BET J. As such, it highlighted the tradition and heritage of Black America in order to empower and inspire it. It did just that. Today, Black Entertainment Television is watched by 65 million homes every day. This is primarily why Johnson was the first African American billionaire. The entrepreneur made over $1 billion after the $3 billion sale to Viacom on account of his share value. However, he was not prepared to stop his entrepreneurial ventures there.

Further Ventures

Robert Johnson is a powerful man and has proved time and again that he always gets what he wants. He is on the Board of Directors of both Hilton Hotels and General Mills, as well as owning part of the Charlotte Bobcats NBA franchise and a film studio called Our Stories Films. All of this business is transacted under the entrepreneurs own company, RLJ Companies Inc. As such, the entrepreneur is obviously not content to rest on his laurels.

The entrepreneur is undoubtedly one of the greatest figures of the Black American business world and has a high status as a direct result. He provided a product for a very real niche and was the first to do so, but it was his business acumen and insight that ensured that his ventures were successful. Robert Johnson remains one of the foremost Black American businessmen in the world, and his ability to seek out successful ventures will no doubt ensure he remains that way for some time to come.