Forbes Lists Wealthiest Black Americans
Forbes ranks the top earning Black Americans. Who made #1?
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Oprah Winfrey Net worth: $2.7 Billion - Oprah Winfrey, top-rated talk show diva, comes up on top of Forbes’ List of the Wealthiest Black Americans. Her company, Harpo Productions, is behind such successes as “Dr. Phil” and “Rachael Ray” and her network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, will make its debut next year.
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Tiger Woods Net worth: $600 Million - Golf great Tiger Woods, who has earned $84 million just from his career winnings, comes in at a distant second. Woods made the rest of his millions from his endorsement deals with companies including Nike, Gatorade, Gillette, Accenture and AT&T.
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Robert Johnson Net worth: $550 Million - BET Founder Robert Johnson comes in third on this year’s list. In 2000, he became the first African-American billionaire after selling the network to Viacom. When he got divorced from his wife Sheila Johnson in 2002, the settlement cut into his fortune. Johnson continues to thrive in his business ventures, which includes ownership of the Charlotte Bobcats NBA team.
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Michael Jordan Net worth: $525 Million - Former NBA player and future Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan is fourth on the list. His brand, which includes his popular basketball sneaker with Nike, along with endorsement deals with Gatorade, Hanes and Upper Deck have contributed to his fortune. He is also a part owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.
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“Magic” Johnson, Jr. Net worth: $500 Million - NBA Hall-of-Famer Magic Johnson, a successful entrepreneur known for bringing big business to majority-Black areas, is at number five. He has partnerships with Starbucks, T.G.I. Fridays and AMC Theatres.
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Bill Cosby Net worth: $450 Million - Comedian Bill Cosby comes in at number six on the list. His hit sitcom “The Cosby Show” still earns him millions in its run in syndication. The 71-year-old still does stand-up comedy and supports various charities along with wife Camille.
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Sheila Johnson Net worth: $400 Million - Businesswoman Sheila Johnson, number seven on the list, owns a stake in several D.C. area sports teams: the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards and the Washington Mystics.
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Berry Gordy Jr. Net worth: $325 Million - Motown founder Berry Gordy landed at number nine on the list. After managing such legendaries as the Jackson 5, The Supremes and Stevie Wonder, he sold the record label in 1988 for $61 million, reports Forbes. He also sold Jobete Music Corp. to EMI Music Publishing for more than $300 million.
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Don King Net Worth: $290 Million - Renowned boxing promoter, Don King, comes in at No. 11 on the list. King promoted such legendary bouts as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” a fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire, and the 1997 fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, which grossed $110 million, according to Forbes.
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Janice Bryant Howroyd & Family Net worth: $250 - No. 12, Janice Howroyd, started a staffing firm in 1978 with just $1,500. Today, her employment services agency makes almost $1 billion in revenues each year.
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