When it comes to networking, the most successful black entrepreneurs in business are definitely getting the most attention. According to a study by The Marketing Institute of America, in 2021 there were approximately 35 percent more African American business owners than any other group.
Daymond John
Daymond John, from the famous black entrepreneurs and CEO of FUBU, started his career in first grade. He was a young boy that sold customized pencils to all those around him at school. His talent for making money from an early age is what made Daymond so successful today!
From black history entrepreneurs John is a self-made man who knows how to turn his passions into profitable ventures. With over 30 years of experience in the field, he’s got an expansive knowledge base that has translated into great success both professionally and personally with various companies under his belt including Shark Group (CEO), Blueprint + Co (cofounder) as well as other prestigious business endeavors totaling $250 million worth of net worth!
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan became the most recognizable basketball player in the world after he defied all odds, and went on to play 15 seasons in NBA. A devoted player from a young age, Michael was told as teenager that his height would not allow him to be successful at this sport professionally. Fortunately for him there were people who believed differently about how good of an athlete he could become – like Larry Bird’s coach Bob Knight- “he will never make it.”
With his estimated net worth of $1.65 billion, he is the world’s highest-paid athlete ever at that time and this makes him one of the top black entrepreneurs and maintains a professional tone in all interactions with others
Janice Bryant Howroyd
Janice Bryant Howroyd is one of the most famous black entrepreneurs businesswoman who has led ActOne Group. Her firm was the first African American female-led company to bring in more than $1 billion in annual revenue and she isn’t well known yet to the general public, but Janice’s legacy will live on with this historic accomplishment!
The employment agency ActOne has grown to dominate one of the most lucrative markets in America. It came from humble beginnings, but with just 900 dollars and some word-of-mouth marketing, it became a household name!
Howroyd comes from the world where it is not just enough to be a woman in business, you need to show that through your work. She has always been motivated by her feelings of being underestimated because she was African American and female.
Sean Combs
You might know him as P. Diddy, but before he became a household name in the music industry under his given name of Sean Combs, many people usually knew him by one other personae: “Puff Daddy.”
Combs from black entrepreneurs is a businessman who has had two decades worth of success in the industry. The first thing he did was to create his own label, Bad Boy Entertainment which launched back in 1993 with just him and Uptown Records as partners before it grew into what we see today. He’s also been successful outside music by building up Revolt TV and investing within many restaurants/food businesses such as owning 50% of Cîroc vodka through DJ Khaled!
George Foreman
George Foreman was a heavyweight boxing champion in the 1990s. He used his newfound fame to launch himself into an array of successful business ventures, and as he turned 45 years old he became one of the oldest people ever to hold that title.
With a long history in the American kitchen, Foreman has always been on the forefront of innovation. George Foreman grills are one of those innovations that have gone viral and become part of our culture. You can’t go anywhere without seeing someone cooking with them! He sold for $137 million in 1999.
George Foreman has been successful in a number of fields, such as managing his business ventures and product endorsements. His net worth is now estimated at $300 million with the success he had running businesses like EverybodyFights Gym and investing in products that endorse him!
Jay-Z and Beyoncé
Jay-Z is the perfect example of a musician turned businessman. He was able to start his first company in 1995 which has since been followed by countless rappers after him. In just two decades, Jay Z acquired or founded multiple companies that produce clothes (Rocawear), own restaurants and bars (40/40 Club) as well as producing records for artists on their Roc Nation label. One of the best story from the black famous entrepreneurs
Beyoncé, Jay-Z’s wife, is a very successful entrepreneur, too. She owns, with her husband, the Tidal streaming service and has endorsed many products throughout her career. In addition, she also founded a fashion line with her mother (House of Deréon) and owns athleisure brand Ivy Park. One of her most recent acquisitions has been watermelon-water company WTRMLN WTR.
Beyoncé, Jay-Z’s wife and business partner is the owner of many successful ventures that span music to fashion. Beyonce has her own athleisure brand Ivy Park as well as a water company WTRMLN WTR with which she partnered recently.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé have a combined net worth of more than $1.4 billion and they richest black entrepreneurs
Conclusion
Black entrepreneurs are creating success stories that can help black Americans continue to reach new heights. It is time that black African American entrepreneurs do more for their communities and themselves by starting their own businesses.