Sheila Johnson – 31st Position
Sheila Johnson co-founded Black Entertainment Television (BET) with her then-husband Robert Johnson and sold it to Viacom for about $3 billion in 2001.
Three years after their divorce, Johnson launched the Salamander Resort & Spa in 2005. The luxury hotel company owns two properties and manages five others around the Southeastern region of the United States. Its growth strategy has resulted in an impressive 24% jump in revenues, from $170 million in 2016 to $210 million in 2017.
Today, Johnson’s net worth is estimated at about $820 million. She produced critically-acclaimed 2013 film The Butler, which tells the story of a former slave turned White House employee.
