14 Of Wealthiest Black Women In Business And Entertainment
(Photo: Maskot/Getty Images)
Notably, Black women have been very successful in business and entertainment. They continue to make great strides in entrepreneurship and the building of generational wealth. In celebration of Women’s History Month, BLACK ENTERPRISE highlights 14 of the wealthiest Black women, including a look at these women’s success, influence, and the industries they’ve helped shape. Their journeys serve as a testament to perseverance, innovation, and the growing economic power of Black women worldwide.
Source: Tyra Banks isn’t just a model. She has become a media powerhouse, launching Bankable Productions in 2007, producing such hit shows as The Tyra Banks Show and America’s Next Top Model. An accomplished woman in fashion, television, and business, Tyra Banks has a net worth of $90 million: (Photo: VOGUE Taiwan, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons):
Source: Sheila Johnson co-founded Black Entertainment Television (BET) in 1980 and helped shape the growth of Black media through her role as an owner. Johnson diversified her portfolio by buying luxury hotels, real estate and sports franchises. Johnson became the first Black woman to own shares in three major Washington sports teams, the WNBA Mystics, the NBA Wizards, and the NHL Capitals. She is the first Black woman to achieve billionaire status: (Photo by Noam Galai/WireImage)
Source: Ava DuVernay is an award-winning producer, writer, director, and film distributor of powerful works like 13th, When They See Us, and Selma. In 2012, she became the first African American woman to win Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival. A believer in the power of diverse voices in cinema, she founded AFFRM (African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement), now known as ARRAY, to support independent Black filmmakers. Her success in filmmaking and production has rendered her with an estimated net worth of $60 million: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures:
Source: Ursula Burns started her career as a mechanical engineering intern at Xerox in 1980. She became the first African American woman to head a Fortune 500 company in 2009 when she took over as CEO of Xerox until 2016. As of December 2020, her estimated net worth was $1.24 billion. Apart from her corporate achievements, in November 2009 President Barack Obama tapped her to help lead the White House national STEM initiative, aimed at promoting science, technology, engineering and math education.
Source: Beyoncé Gisselle Knowles has made a name for herself. She found fame as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child, one of the most successful girl groups of all time, but after launching her solo career in 2003, she became a global icon. As a solo artist, she has earned most of her wealth from music and live performances. In 2008, she established Parkwood Entertainment, a production company that handles her music, film, and fashion projects. At the moment, Beyoncé’s net worth is estimated at $760 million: (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Source: Robyn Rihanna Fenty came into the limelight in 2005 with the release of her debut album and is now the biggest digital seller of all time. She revolutionized the beauty industry in 2017, when she launched Fenty Beauty, a brand that is popular for its inclusivity. In 2022, she became the youngest self-made female billionaire. In 2025, her net worth is estimated at $1.4 billion: (Photo: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
Source: Dana Owens, better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, began her music career in 1989 and by 1993, became the first female rapper to have a gold album. At around the same time she moved into acting. In 2006, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Queen Latifah also owns a production company, Flavor Unit, which has produced films, TV shows, and commercials. A singer, actress, producer, and business woman, she has an estimated net worth of $70 million:
(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Source: Whoopi Goldberg became widely known in 1985 when she won a Golden Globe Award as Best Actress for The Color Purple. By 1993, Goldberg had already been the highest-paid actress and had more than 150 television and film appearances to her credit. Goldberg is a historical first, a Black woman with an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar. With decades of work, Goldberg’s current estimated net worth is $60 million: (Photo: Lou Rocco/ABC via Getty Images)
Source: Born Onika Maraj, the Trinidadian-born, Nicki Minaj made her entrance into the world in 1982. She achieved prominence with the 2010 release of her debut album Pink Friday, which was commercially successful. In 2013, she became a female rapper with the most Billboard Hot 100 entries with 44 songs charting. Being an album seller, a touring artist, an endorser, and an entrepreneur, contributed to her estimated net worth of $150 million: (Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)
Source: Naomi Campbell became famous at the end of the 1980s and is considered one of the most famous models in the history of fashion. She was one of the first supermodels, ruling catwalks and cover pages of the most famous magazines, and collaborating with
the biggest names in fashion, such as Versace, Chanel, and Dior. Campbell has earned her wealth from modeling, getting fat deals from companies like Burberry, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana. She has also made money from commercials, television shows, films, and other business activities, such as her fragrances and other activities in the fashion sector. As of 2024, Naomi Campbell’s estimated net worth is $80 million:
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Source: Serena Williams first went professional in 1995 and would go on to become one of the all-time greatest tennis players, earning most of her wealth from prize winnings and lucrative endorsement deals. After retiring in 2022, she got into business and started companies like NiNe Two Six Productions and the wellness brand Will Perform. Today, Serena has an estimated net worth of $340 million:
(Photo: Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)
Source: Janice Bryant Howroyd is an American entrepreneur and owner of ActOne Group, a workforce solutions company, staffing and talent management. In 1978, she moved to Beverly Hills, California and started ActOne with the help of her mother and brother by borrowing $1,500. ActOne, a staffing and talent management company, has grown to become a billion-dollar company and Howroyd is the first Black woman to own and run a company valued more than $1 billion. Her current net worth is estimated at $620 million, as of today. In 2016, President Barack Obama tapped her to serve on the Board of Advisors for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
Source: Oprah worked as a news anchor before hosting her self-titled show in 1986. Oprah established Harpo Productions, a multimedia production company, Oprah Magazine and in 2011, she launched the Oprah Winfrey Network. In 2003, Oprah was named the first African-American female billionaire and she is now worth $3 billion: (Photo: Mark Von Holden/Variety via Getty Images)
Source: Shonda Rhimes is the founder of Shondaland, the production company behind hit series Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder. She became the first woman to create three television dramas that each surpassed 100 episodes. In 2017, Rhimes moved from network television to streaming, making a landmark deal with Netflix, said to be worth more than $100 million, and was inducted in Television Academy hall of fame She has built an estimated net worth of $250 million through her successful TV empire, production company and strategic business ventures: Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images