Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson (#3385)

Global Rank #3385

Country Rank #1,006

Country United States

Robert Johnson is listed among the world billionaires tracked by Iconic Billionaires.

$ 1 B
Black Entertainment Television
United States
M
80 Years

Snapshot

Quick Facts

Global Rank #3,385

Country Rank #1,006

Net Worth $1.0B

Previous Worth $1.0B

Worth Change +$0.0B

Country United States

Industry Black Entertainment Television

Age 80 Years

Gender M

Worth As Of May 4, 2026

Residence Palm Beach, Florida

Citizenship United States

World Billionaires List United States Billionaires Black Entertainment Television

Profile Data

Personal Stats

Age 80

Source Of Wealth Black Entertainment Television, Self Made

Residence Palm Beach, Florida

Citizenship United States

Marital Status Divorced

Children 2

Education Bachelor of Arts/Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Master of Arts, Princeton University

Net Worth Change +$0.0B +0.0% from previous worth

Previous Net Worth $1.0B

Current Net Worth $1.0B

Worth as of May 4, 2026

About Me

Robert L. Johnson made history by launching Black Entertainment Television (BET) in 1980. BET became the first Black-owned company to trade on the New York Stock Exchange starting in 1991. Johnson, who cofounded BET with his now ex-wife Sheila Johnson, took BET private at a $1.3 billion valuation in 1998, then flipped it three years later to Viacom for $3 billion. He led a group that paid $300 million for the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) NBA expansion team in 2003. He sold his majority stake to Michael Jordan in 2010. Today, his RLJ Companies spans private equity, auto dealerships and RLJ Lodging Trust, a publicly traded hotel REIT.

Achievements

Forbes List Highlights

A snapshot of the list placements and rankings connected to Robert Johnson.

#3332

Billionaires (2026)

Ranked

ForbesBLK 50: The Money Masters (2026)

Insights

Did You Know?

Johnson was the first Black Billionaire in the United States.

Johnson named the Charlotte Bobcats after himself.

Wealth Growth

Net Worth Growth Over Time

Tracking Robert Johnson's net worth journey over the years, highlighting key growth phases and financial milestones.