Discover Our Alumni
Illinois Entrepreneurs
Photo Origin: BET |
Robert L. Johnson Robert L. Johnson founded Black Entertainment Television in 1979, and became the first African-American billionaire in 2001. Born on April 8, 1946 in Hickory, Mississippi, Johnson spent most of his childhood in Freeport, Illinois. He studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a first-generation college student, earning a B.A. in History, and later earned an M.A. in International Affairs from Princeton University. Johnson founded Black Entertainment Television, a cable television network targeted primarily toward African-Americans, later sold to Viacom in 1999. Since then, the cable television network has expanded into a network of affiliated channels, including BETJ, BET Gospel, and BET Hip-Hop. In addition to BET, Johnson has embarked on numerous other successful business ventures. He established the RLJ Companies to target undiscovered or niche markets. Johnson serves on the board of General Mills and owns the Charlotte Bobcats, an NBA team. With business partner Harvey Weinstein, Johnson also created an L.A.-based film company, Our Stories Films. Johnson has paved the road for successful African-Americans in the entertainment industry, His bold decision to target a unique market in the entertainment industry defined a new generation of hip-hop culture. |
