7 Ideas : Sheila Johnson

The iconic founder of BET and Salamander Collection draws inspiration from basketball courts and symphony halls.

- By Christine Lagorio-Chafkin

SHEILA JOHNSON IS America's first Black female billionaire. She's lived multiple entrepreneurial journeys, from co-founding BET in 1980 to creating her luxury resort management company in 2005. She's since purchased an ownership stake in the Washington Mystics franchise-of which she is president and managing partner-as well as stakes in two other WNBA teams and a golf resort. A refrain running through her career: Since childhood, she's found grounding in her deep passion for classical music and the arts. She's executive produced multiple films and is the author of a new memoir, Walk Through Fire, which details her struggles in business, with institutional racism, and in relationships.

More multifaceted than ever at 75, Johnson has emerged from the flames intact and with ample wisdom to share.