An American billionaire, Robert Johnson has committed thirty million U.S. dollars to the private sector of post-war
Finance Minister Antoinette Sayeh told reporters the commitment was made the just-ended Private Sector Conference in
Minister Sayeh said Mr. Johnson has also promised to work with OPIC for the achievement of its objectives.
According to Minister Sayeh, the Private Sector conference was jointly sponsored by OPIC and the International Finance Corporation.
- Born: 8 April 1946
- Birthplace: Hickory, Mississippi
- Best Known As: Founder of Black Entertainment Television
Robert L. Johnson is the founder, chairman and CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET). He is also the majority owner of the the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. Johnson grew up in Illinois and earned a graduate degree in international affairs from Princeton University. In the early 1970s Johnson found himself in Washington, D.C. during the early expansion of cable television. After a few years as a lobbyist for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, Johnson borrowed money to start his own cable brand, BET. Launched in 1980, it was profitable within five years. In the early '90s BET became the first African-American-controlled company to be traded publicly on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1998 Johnson bought it back and then sold it to Viacom, pocketing a reported $1.5 billion himself and retaining his position as chairman and CEO. Since then Johnson has continued to expand and diversify the BET brand, and in 2003 he became the owner of a new National Basketball Association franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats.
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