Bob Johnson

About me:

Robert L. Johnson, the first African American billionaire, is the Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of RLJ Development, LLC located in Bethesda, Maryland. Included in The RLJ Companies, it was officially launched in December 2000. Under the umbrella of The RLJ Companies, Mr. Johnson also owns or holds interests in companies operating in the hotel, real estate, gaming, restaurant, media/entertainment, and sports industries.

Mr. Johnson is the Founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Black Entertainment Television (BET) - now a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. - which he created in January 1980. It was the first black cable television network and in 1991 it became the first black-owned company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He sold BET to Viacom in 1999 for approximately $3.2 billion while remaining the company’s Chairman and CEO until 2005.

In 2003, Mr. Johnson and NBA legend Michael Jordan led the group, which also included rapper Nelly that acquired the Charlotte Bobcats expansion franchise. In acquiring the Charlotte Bobcats, Mr. Johnson became the first African-American majority owner of a major professional sports franchise. On March 17, 2010, Mr. Johnson sold majority ownership to Michael Jordan and MJ Basketball Holdings, LLC. Mr. Johnson retains a minority ownership interest and serves as the Bobcats’ governor to the NBA.

In late 2006, Johnson and business partner Harvey Weinstein, founded Our Stories Films, a film company based in Los Angeles, CA.

In 2007, Johnson created a $30 million Liberia Enterprise Development Fund. Inspired by the new Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, he came up with the idea to create the Enterprise Development Fund to be utilized as a way to revitalize the historic relationship between Black-Americans and the war-torn country of Liberia.

He has been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and was at the top of its list of the “101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports.” Other major awards received by Mr. Johnson include the 1997 Broadcasting