Quick Facts

Robert Louis Johnson is an American media magnate, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and investor. He formed RLJ Companies, which invests in a variety of industries, and he was a co-founder of BET, which was acquired by Viacom in 2001.

He also owns the Charlotte Bobcats in a majority interest. His companies were among the most significant African-American corporations in the early and late twentieth centuries, and he was declared America’s first billionaire in 2001.

What is the net worth of Bob Johnson?

The principal source of wealth of Bob Johnson has come from a range of high-return investments. His many properties reflect this, including a 778-room resort in Liberia valued at $12 million and 100 motels in Dean White valued at $1.7 million.

He sold a $3 million asset when BET was purchased by Viacom in 2001. In Africa, he has also formed a $30 million private equity fund. He also holds over 13,755 shares of RLJ Lodging Trust Stock. He made an $8.1 million profit on the sale of RLJ stock. As the Executive Chairman of the RLJ Board of Trustees, he receives $2.54 million. As of 2022, Bob Johnson’s net worth is expected to be $1 billion.

Bob Johnson, an African-American who rose through the ranks, considers himself to be one of his generation’s finest entrepreneurs.

When was Bob Johnson born?

On April 8, 1946, in Hickory, Mississippi, Bob was the ninth of ten children born to Archie JOHNSON and Edna Johnson. His father worked as a farmer, and his mother taught. When he was a child, his parents relocated him and his siblings to Freeport, Illinois.

Bob obtained a bachelor’s degree in social studies from the University of Illinois in 1968. At the same university, Bob was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. In 1972, he graduated from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School with a master’s degree in public affairs.

What are the age, height, and weight of Bob Johnson?

Bob Johnson was born on April 8, 1946, and as of 2022, he is 76 years old. He stands 1.7 meters tall and weighs 79 kilograms.

Career

Bob found a position in Washington, DC after graduating from Princeton University, which introduced him to the television industry. He worked here as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s Public Affairs Director. Also, he was serving as the National Urban League’s director of communications at the time.

He was also Congressman Walter E. Fauntory’s press secretary. He eventually became the National Cable and Television Association’s vice president of government relations (NCTA).

As a result of his expertise, Bob was able to understand the strength of television’s unrealized potential. He started Black Entertainment Television in 1980, which grew into a full-fledged station in 1983. The first African-American-targeted cable network was Black Entertainment Television (BET).

When BET originally started in 1980, it only broadcast on Friday nights for two hours. In 1991, it became the first black-owned firm to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

In 1998, Bob and Liberty Media bought all of the company’s outstanding shares, giving him a 42 percent stake. Later that year, Viacom paid $3 billion for BET, and Bob made a tidy profit on the deal. He did, however, stay on as BET’s CEO until 2006.

The RLJ Companies, established in Bethesda, Maryland, later expanded into hotel real estate investment, private equity, financial services, asset management, vehicle dealership, entertainment and sports, and video lottery terminal gambling.

Bob became the first American majority owner of a major American Sports League team when he bought the Charlotte Bobcats in 2002. In 2010, he sold the Charlotte Bobcats to Michael Jordan for a majority ownership.

In 2011, Bob and Morgan Freeman raised donations for hurricane relief in the Bahamas.

He teamed with The Ella Rose Collection and PVH in 2012 to produce a neckwear line to promote Malaria No More.

Achievements and Awards

Bob has accomplished a great deal on his own. He has been on the boards of directors of a number of companies and organizations. Just a few examples are Strayer Education, Lowe’s Companies Inc, KB Home, and the NBA Board of Governors.

For his contributions to many charity organizations, notably Malaria No More in 2012, Bob was voted one of the greatest philanthropists. He also put $30 million into the Liberia Enterprise Development Fund, a seed fund for Liberians.

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Who is the wife of Bob Johnson?

In 1969, Bob Johnson married Sheila Johnnson. The marriage lasted until 2001, and two children were born as a result of it. He began dating Lauren Wooden, a 33-year-old woman, in 2010. According to her records, Lauren was pursuing a doctorate in international business management in Paris.

Bob and Lauren married in May 2016 at Auberge Du Soleil in Napa Valley, California, with Greg Mathis officiating. Actor Leon Robinson, music entrepreneur L. A Reid, and Bill Clinton’s former Chief of Staff, Mack McLarty, were among the select attendees at the ceremony. Their marriage was short-lived, since they divorced in 2020.