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The Black Snob: Forbes Wealthiest Black Americans: All About Oprah

Written by Danielle Belton
Thursday, 07 May 2009 00:00

Shock, shock! It's full of media moguls, athletes and entertainers! (And some investors and real estate folks). Here's the top 10.

1. Oprah Winfrey, (Queen of all media): $2.7 billion
2. Tiger Woods, (athlete): $600 million
3. Robert Johnson, (BET founder): $550 million
4. Michael Jordan, (athlete): $525 million
5. Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr., (athlete): $500 million
6. William Henry Cosby, Jr., (entertainer, author): $450 million
7. Sheila Johnson, (ex-wife of Robert Johnson): $400 million
8. R. Donahue Peebles, (real estate): $350 million
9. Berry Gordy, (Motown founder): $325 million
10. Quintin Primo, III, (real estate): $300 million

Also on the list: Kobe Bryant ($140 million) and Shaquille O'Neal ($130 million), Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter ($150 million) and several investors/real estate/restaurateurs I've never heard of, but damn, they are rollin' in it.

Naturally, with the exception of maybe Oprah, most of the individuals on this list wouldn't register as loudly on the overall Forbes 400 list. She remains the sole black billionaire (and billioniaress) on the list with Johnson divorced from his wife Sheila and half of his former billion. Also, the heirs of Johnson Publications, the folks behind Ebony/Jet, fell off the list this year due to woes in the publication industry. This explains why the folks at Ebony were trying to get my parents to re-up for a subscription for only $12.

 

For more observations from the greatest black blogger of our time, check out The Black Snob's website: http://blacksnob.com/