Robert L. Johnson

Succeeding Against the Odds: Building a Business and Achieving the Dream

Entrepreneurial journey overcoming obstacles to build successful media enterprise

About the author

Robert L. Johnson

Robert L. Johnson founded Black Entertainment Television (BET) in 1980 and in 2001 sold it to Viacom for $3 billion, making him the first African American billionaire. He later founded RLJ Companies, a diversified holding company with interests in hospitality, private equity, and financial services.