Berry Gordy


Born: November 28, 1929, Detroit, Michigan,

Company: Motown Record Corporation,

Industry: Media,

Position: Founder,

Country: United States




Berry Gordy, Jr.is the founder of the Motown Records, one of the most successful black owned companies in the United States.

In 1960 at the suggestion of friend, William "Smokey" Robinson, Gordy borrowed ~ $800 from his father and formed his own company to manufacture and market records.

Motown Records was headquartered in a row house on Detroit's West Grand Boulevard, where Gordy slept on the second floor and made records on the first.

In time the company expanded, with nine buildings on the same street housing its branches: Jobete, music publishers; Hitsville USA, a recording studio; musical accompanists; International Talent Management Inc; the Motown Artist's Development Department (the embodiment of Gordy's personal interest in his performers, where they were taught to eat, dress, and act like polished professionals); and the Motown Record Corporation, an umbrella for several labels of Motown, including Gordy, Tamla, VIP, and Soul (the last being reserved for the hit song-writing machine of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland).

His gift for identifying and bringing together musical talent, along with the careful management of his artists' public image, made Motown initially a major international success. Over the next decade, he signed such artists as Mary Wells, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Jimmy Ruffin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Commodores, The Velvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Rick James, and The Jackson 5.

Gordy sold his interests in Motown Records to MCA and Boston Ventures on June 28, 1988 for $61 million. He also later sold most of his interests in the Jobete publishing concern to EMI Publishing.
Tags: Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Entrepreneur Male, Film & Television, Music, United States

Antonio "L.A." Reid


Born: June 7, 1956, Cincinnati, Ohio

Company: The Island Def Jam Group

Position: former Chairman

Industry: Media

Country: United States




Antonio "L.A" Reid is the former Chairman of The Island Def Jam Group, a position he has held from February 2004 to March 2011. Reid joined Island Def Jam after he resigned as president and chief executive officer of Arista Records.

Reid became president and chief executive officer of Arista Records in 2000 after sell their remaining 50% stake in LaFace to parent company BMG.

As President of Arista Records, Reid brought the company great success by signing artists such as P!nk, Ciara and Avril Lavigne, whose debut album Let Go sold 6 million copies in the United States.

He had previously served as co-president of LaFace Records, which he co-founded in 1989 with producer-songwriter Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Producing popular artists such as TLC, Toni Braxton, OutKast, Pink, Usher and Goodie Mob.
Tags: Antonio "L.A." Reid, Def Jam Recordings, Entrepreneur Male, Famous Executive, Music, United States

Ann-Marie Daniel-Barker


Company: Prestige Image Consultants

Position: President and CEO

Industry: Media, Fashion

Country: Canada

Ann-Marie is widely considered to be Canada's Premier Fashion Stylist. She is the President & CEO of Prestige Image Consultants, a leading Fashion Styling, Image training and Event Planning firm based in Toronto.

Daniel-Barker has spent over 12 years in the fashion industry, working as a Stylist and Image Trainer in Canada and the U.S.A. She has made appearances on radio and television shows like ET Canada and Entertainment Tonight, hosting the 2007 Oscar Awards Red Carpet fashion dos and don'ts. She has also appeared on the reality television show "Rich Bride, Poor Bride", adding the title of "Writer" to her list of achievements for her work on the very successful book, Rich Bride, Poor Bride Your Ultimate Wedding Planning Guide.

Daniel-Barker has worked styling Young and the Restless' star Tonya-Lee Williams (Dr. Olivia), Jamaican born Billionaire Michael Lee-Chin, Preston Bailey "Event Planner to the Stars" for magazine cover and Queen Latifah to name a few. She also serves as stylist for Voluptuous Clothing, the Canadian based retail chain for plus size women started by Angelia Samuels. Daniel-Barker also serves as the Director of Advertising & Promotions for AMOI magazine.

Tags: Ann-Marie Daniel-Barker, Canada, Consumer Services, Entrepreneur Female, Prestige Image Consultants

Angela Samuels


Company: Voluptuous Clothing

Position: Founder/CEO

Industry: Fashion, Retail

Country: Canada




Angela Samuels is the Founder and CEO of the Toronto based retail chain Voluptuous Clothing, a store that caters to women sizes 14 to 24. The first Voluptuous was opened at North York Sheridan Mall in May 2001, followed by Dufferin Mall in May 2002, Scarborough Town Centre in June 2003 and the Vaughan Mills was launched on November 4, 2004.

Growing up as a minority and one of six children in the rough Toronto neighbourhood of Jane and Finch, Samuels felt acutely unsure about her chances of succeeding in life. But as a young woman, the drive to survive which had served her growing up kicked in. She would eventually use what she learned from her childhood challenges to improve both her life and the lives of many others.

Angela work as a plus-sized model for three years doing runway shows for designers such as Brian Bailey as well as catalogue and flyer work for stores such as Sears, Wal-Mart and Zellers.She then pursued her studies in the Child and Youth Care Worker program first at Centennial College and then George Brown College. Working with young offenders, Angela observed how, with women, much of their low self-esteem was tied to their appearance. If they couldn’t find ways to look good, she reasoned, then how could they feel better about themselves?

"I saw a lot of younger girls who were bigger and I realized that they grow up thinking they're different than everyone else, that they’re not a part of society because they're not a size three," Samuels says. "I thought that if I could empower them with the self-esteem they need, maybe they would look at life differently and have a better chance to become successful."

She said she chose the name Voluptuous for her company because, "I wanted something that said "positive," and something that said "sexy." And I figured, okay, there's a word for small, which is "petite." And it sounds proper. It sounds nice. And I thought, there has got to be some other word for "full-figured," "big." There’s got to be some other word. And I searched, and we came up with "voluptuous." It said all the things we wanted to say; furthermore, it implied that we are sexy. And that was important to me. And that became the name.

Voluptuous had sales of over $5 millions in 2004 and plans to expand across Canada over the next few years. Voluptuous will open a new store in a trendy upscale Mississauga shopping mall with an expected spring 2005 grand opening. Plans are also in the works for a location in Montreal later this year and the West Edmonton Mall in 2006.
Tags: Angela Samuels, Canada, Entrepreneur Female, Retail, Voluptuous Clothing

Amina Odidi


Company: IntelliPharmaCeutics

Position: President, COO and Co-Chief Scientific Officer

Industry: Pharmaceutical

Country: Canada




Dr. Amina Odidi is a founder and one of the principals of IntelliPharmaCeutics and serves as Director, President, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Chief Scientific Officer.

Since 1984 Dr. Amina Odidi has been a key player in the pharmaceutical industry by developing and applying proprietary technologies to the development of controlled-release drug products for third-party pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Odidi received her B.Sc. degree in Pharmacy, from Ahmadu Bello University, and her M.Sc., Biopharmaceutics and Ph.D Pharmaceutics degrees from the University of London, England.

Dr. Odidi is an acclaimed scientist and innovator in the research, design, development and fabrication of controlled delivery technology platforms for sustained, timed, delayed, pulsatile or targeted delivery of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, biological, chemical and agricultural materials in mammalian, terrestrial and extra-terrestrial environments. Dr. Odidi invented or co-invented various proprietary controlled delivery devices for the delivery of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, biological, agricultural and chemical agents. She has held several senior management positions in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

Dr. Odidi's role in the company is to oversee and assist in the development of key proprietary technology, from conception, through research and development, scale-up and manufacture, to clinical trials and regulatory approval. Dr. Amina Odidi will also provide strategic direction, managerial and scientific guidance. Professor Isa Odidi, together with Dr. Amina Odidi developed, between 1984 and 1995, the majority of the proprietary drug delivery technology used by IntelliPharmaCeutics for the production of controlled-release drug products. Dr. Amina Odidi continued this development from 1995 to date.
Tags: Canada, Dr. Amina Odidi, Entrepreneur Female, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, IntelliPharmaCeutics, Pharmaceuticals

Albert R. Grace


Company: Loop Capital Markets, LLC

Position: Co-Founder and President

Industry: Financial Services

Country: United States

Albert R. Grace Jr. (Al) co-founded Loop Capital Markets in 1997 with the aim to create a firm that would be, in his words, “a provider of creative capital solutions – an unusually resourceful partner who will find ways to ‘make it happen’.”


Mr. Grace, who is responsible for the equity trading division at Loop Capital Markets, has over 25 years of experience in the capital markets, money management and law. Before the formation of Loop Capital Markets, he was Vice President at the Northern Trust Company. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Selected Financial Services, an investment advisory and broker/dealer subsidiary of Kemper Corporation. Previously, Mr. Grace was legal counsel to the investment and trading departments of Kemper Financial Services, Inc., CIGNA Corporation and American Express Financial Services, Inc. specializing in securities and commodities law.

Since co-founding Loop Capital Markets, LLC in 1997, along with James Reynolds, Mr. Grace has promoted the vision of creating an uncompromising standard of excellence in a more responsive, client-focused firm comprised of some of the most capable and experienced professionals in the industry.

Mr. Grace serves on the boards of Chicago Communities in the Schools, where he is Chairman of the Program Committee; Chicago United, where he serves as Secretary of the organization and a member of its Executive Committee; and the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse Foundation. He is also a member of the Securities Industry Association's National Institutional Brokerage Committee.

Mr. Grace holds a JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School and a Bachelor of Science in History from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. He completed additional study at the University of Hartford and the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Business. His licenses include Series 3, 6, 7, 24, 26, 27, 55 and 63.

Tags: Albert R. Grace, Entrepreneur Male, Financial Services, Loop Capital Markets, United States

Adenike Ogunlesi


Company: Ruff 'n' Tumble

Position: Founder, CEO

Industry: Apparel

Country: Nigeria





Adenike Ogunlesi is the founder of Ruff 'n' Tumble, a childrens clothing line in Nigeria. From a tiny shop with her and her mother as the main staff, Adenike aka Nike turned Ruff 'n' Tumble into an instantly recognizable brand. She has built a reputation for being one of the best manufacturers of children's clothing in Nigeria.

"My kids ran out of pajamas. And I used to make clothing for women. So I decided that I'd just make some pajamas for my kids. "

In her second year as an undergraduate law student at the Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Adenike opted out of school unsure of what to do with her life. She then reluctantly accepted her mother's invitation to work in her womens tailor shop. That experience helped her to discover who she was and what she wanted to do.

"I started in 1996, I was selling from the back of my car, I was selling at bazaars. Everywhere, there was a bazaar, I was there, my table and my suit case, my children and sometimes even my husband. So it all started then."

Today Ruff 'N' Tumble is a thriving business with 50 employees and distribution along the West African coast.

"We don't export now. Export to the West African coast, yes, all along the West African coast, yes, but to say, America or to England, I'm not interested in it at all. If 40 percent of the 120 million people in Nigeria are children, I have the potential of a huge market here."

Adenike was featured in the Africa Open for Business documentary and was recognized as the FATE Foundation Model Entrepreneur in 2005.
Tags: Adenike Ogunlesi, Apparel, Entrepreneur Female, Nigeria, Ruff 'n' Tumble

Tiger Woods


Net worth: $600 million
Source of wealth: Golf, endorsements
Residence: Orlando, Fla.
Age: 33




Eldrick (Tiger) Woods, now 35 years of age, has had an unprecedented career since becoming a professional golfer in the late summer of 1996. He has won 95 tournaments, 71 of those on the PGA Tour, including the 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005 Masters Tournaments, 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007 PGA Championships, 2000, 2002, and 2008 U.S. Open Championships, and 2000, 2005 and 2006 Open Championships. With his second Masters victory in 2001, Tiger became the first ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time. He is the career victories leader among active players on the PGA Tour, and is the career money list leader.

In winning the 2000 British Open, Woods became the youngest to complete the career Grand Slam of professional major championships and only the fifth ever to do so, following Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. Tiger also was the youngest Masters champion ever, at the age of 21 years, three months and 14 days, and was the first major championship winner of African or Asian heritage.

Woods holds or shares the record for the low score in relation to par in each of the four major championships. His records are 270 (18-under par) in the 1997 Masters, 272 (12-under par) in the 2000 U.S. Open, 269 (19-under par) in the 2000 Open Championship, and he shares the record of 270 (18-under par) with Bob May in the 2000 PGA Championship, which Tiger won by one stroke in a three-hole playoff.

The U.S. Open and Masters victories came by record margins, 15 strokes and 12 strokes, respectively, and the U.S. Open triumph swept aside the 13-stroke major championship standard which had stood for 138 years, established by Old Tom Morris in the 1862 British Open. The record margin for the U.S. Open had been 11 strokes by Willie Smith in 1899. In The Masters, Woods broke the record margin of nine strokes set by Nicklaus in 1965. Tiger won the Open Championship by eight strokes, the largest margin since J. H. Taylor in 1913.

He is the career victories leader among active players on the PGA Tour and is the career money list leader. He is third in PGA Tour career victories, trailing only Sam Snead (82) and Jack Nicklaus (73).

Tiger increased his record total on the PGA Tour career money list to $94,157,304 through 2010, and had won $113,602,123 worldwide.

In addition to his playing exploits, Woods is busy off the course, too.

He answers questions and writes regularly for his website, TigerWoods.com.

Michael Jordan

Net worth: $525 million
Source of wealth: Basketball, Nike, endorsements
Residence: Chicago
Age: 46





Professional basketball player, Olympic athlete, businessperson, actor. Born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. Considered one of the best basketball players ever, Michael Jordan dominated the sport from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He led the Chicago Bulls to six national championships as well as earned the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Most Valuable Player Award five times.

Growing up in Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan developed a competitive edge at an early age. He wanted to win every game he played. As his father James later noted, "What he does have is a competition problem. He was born with that...The person he tries to outdo most of the time is himself."

Jordan enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981 and soon became an important member of the school's basketball team. His team won the NCAA Division I championships in 1982 with Jordan scoring the final basket needed to defeat Georgetown University. He was also singled out as the NCAA College Player of the Year in 1983 and in 1984. During the summer of 1984, Jordan made his first appearance in the Olympics as a member of the U.S. basketball team, which won the gold at the games held in Los Angeles. Later Jordan helped the United States bring home the gold at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

Jordan left college after his junior year to join the NBA. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he soon proved himself on the court. He helped the team make it to the playoffs and scored an average of 28.2 points per game that season. For his efforts, Jordan received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was selected for the All-Star Game.

In 1985, he finished his bachelor's degree in geography and continued to play basketball professionally. While his second season was marred by injury, Jordan was breaking new ground on the court during the 1986-1987 season. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlin to score more than 3,000 points in a single season. The following season, Jordan received his first Most Valuable Player Award from NBA—an honor he would earn four more times in 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998.

By the late 1980s, the Chicago Bulls was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with, and Jordan was an instrumental part of the team's success. The Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1990 and won their first NBA championship the following year by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. A rising NBA superstar, Jordan became known for his power and agility on the court as well as for his leadership abilities. He eventually landed several endorsement deals with such companies as Nike, which further pushed him into the spotlight.

In 1992, the Chicago Bulls beat the Portland Trail Blazers to win their second NBA championship title. The team took their third championship the following year, dominating in the basketball world. Jordan, however, had other things on his mind. He lost his father, James, to an act of violence after the end of the 1992-1993 season. Two teenagers shot James Jordan during an apparent robbery and were later convicted of the crime. In a move that shocked many, Michael Jordan decided to retire from basketball to pursue baseball. He played for a minor league team, the Birmingham Barons, as an outfielder for a year.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Net worth: $500 million
Source of wealth: Restaurants, real estate, investments
Residence: Beverly Hills, Calif.
Age: 49




Basketball player, businessman, author. Born Earvin Johnson, Jr. on August 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan. For 12 years, Earvin "Magic" Johnson dominated the court as one of America's best basketball players. He has since then built up a business empire, which includes real estate holdings, several Starbucks franchises, and movie theaters.

From a large family, Johnson grew up with nine brothers and sisters. Both of his parents worked—his father for the General Motors plant in town and his mother for as a school custodian. He had a passion for basketball, and would start practicing as early as 7:30 a.m. At Everett High School, Johnson earned his famous nickname, "Magic," after a sportswriter witnessed him score 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 16 assists in a single game.

Johnson continued to play in college for Michigan State University. Standing at 6 feet 9 inches tall, he made for an impressive point guard. Johnson excelled during his freshman year, helping his team, the Spartans, clinch the Big Ten Conference title. The following year, he played an important role in taking the Spartans all the way to the NCAA Finals. There they faced off against the Indiana State Sycamores. In one of the most famous match-ups in college basketball history, Johnson went head-to-head with Indiana's star forward, Larry Bird. The Spartans proved victorious, and the Johnson-Bird rivalry would follow the players to their days with the NBA.

Leaving college after two years, Johnson was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. He did well in his first season with the team, averaging 18 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. Johnson won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award for his efforts in leading the Lakers to victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The team also included such strong players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, and Norm Nixon.

During his third season with the team, the Lakers made the NBA finals again. This time they were defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers, but Johnson still performed well enough to earn his second NBA Finals MVP award. In the 1984 NBA finals, Johnson again encountered rival Larry Bird, who had signed with the Boston Celtics. This was the first of several match-ups between the two teams. The Celtics beat the Lakers in a tight competition—four games to three—for the 1984 championship. The Lakers, however, took down the Celtics the following year in the finals.

Johnson and his team continued to be one of the NBA's top teams through the rest of the 1980s. In the 1987 finals, they again defeated the Boston Celtics. Johnson received the NBA Finals MVP Award for the third time in his career. During this remarkable season, Johnson did his personal best in terms of average points per game, with a remarkable 23.9. He received his first NBA MVP award for his performance on the court—an honor he would receive again in 1989 and once more in 1990.

In November 1991, Johnson retired from the Lakers after revealing that he had the AIDS virus, which he believed he contracted through unprotected sexual activity. The AIDS diagnosis was especially hard for Johnson. At the time he learned he had the disease, his wife Cookie was pregnant with their first child. Both his wife and son, Earvin III, turned out to not have HIV.

Sheila Johnson

Net worth: $400 million
Source of wealth: BET, investments
Residence: The Plains, Va.
Age: 60





Doctor's daughter and violinist co-founded Black Entertainment Television with former husband Robert Johnson; couple met in college at University of Illinois. Duo sold network to Viacom for $3 billion in stock and assumed debt; split fortune in divorce in 2002 after 33-year marriage. Today she is chief executive of Salamander LLC, which controls a portfolio of luxury resorts. Through investment in Lincoln Holdings, owns stake in NHL's Washington Capitals, NBA's Washington Wizards, and WNBA's Washington Mystics. Johnson is the Mystics' president and managing partner.

Berry Gordy

Net worth: $325 million
Source of wealth: Motown, Jobete
Residence: Los Angeles
Age: 79




Music pioneer put away his boxing gloves for songwriting at age 20. Borrowed $800 from parents to build his own record label. Created Motown Records in Detroit. Wrote hit songs ("Lonely Teardrops," "I'll be Satisfied"), managed talent (Jackson 5, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder). Known for running Motown's record production like an assembly line, emulating Detroit's Big Three car companies; fought numerous lawsuits brought by recording artists and songwriters alleging unpaid royalties throughout career. Sold Motown Records in 1988 for $61 million; later sold Jobete Music Corp. in installments to EMI Music Publishing for more than $300 million combined. Hit movie Dreamgirls said to be loosely based on Motown; Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks issued an apology to Gordy in 2007 for any confusion the fictional story might have caused regarding Motown's legacy.

Don King


Net worth: $290 million
Source of wealth: Boxing promotion
Residence: Manalapan, Fla.
Age: 77




"Only in America." Loud-talking, flag-waving King ascended from a troubled past in Cleveland to become the biggest promoter in boxing. Accused of killing two men; 1954 case ruled a justifiable homicide, 1966 case ruled manslaughter. Spent nearly four years in prison. Entered boxing business while doing fundraising work in 1972 for a struggling Cleveland hospital. Asked Muhammad Ali to attend charity event. Later convinced Ali and George Foreman to let him promote their 1974 heavyweight championship bout. The "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire is remembered as one of the greatest fights of all time. Biggest success: boxing badboy Mike Tyson.
Don King was born in Cleveland, Ohio. After dropping out of Kent State University, he ran an illegal bookmaking operation, and was charged for killing two men in separate incidents 13 years apart. The first was determined to be justifiable homicide after it was found that King shot Hillary Brown in the back and killed him while he was attempting to rob one of King's gambling houses.[1] King was convicted of second degree murder for the second killing in 1966 after he was found guilty of stomping to death an employee, Sam Garrett, who owed him $600.[1] In an ex parte meeting with King's attorney, the judge reduced King's conviction to nonnegligent manslaughter for which King served just under four years in prison.[2] King was later pardoned for the crime in 1983 by Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes, with letters from Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King, George Voinovich, Art Modell, and Gabe Paul, among others, being written in support of King.

Ulysses Bridgeman


Net worth: $200 million
Source of wealth: Restaurants
Residence: Louisville, Ky.




ULYSSES L. BRIDGEMAN, JR., 57, is the owner and president of B.F. Companies which operates a number of Wendy?s Old Fashioned Hamburger restaurants and Chili?s restaurants. Mr. Bridgeman is a director of Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. Mr. Bridgeman brings entrepreneurial business knowledge and experience to the Board through his ownership and operation of a restaurant franchisee with 300 locations in 11 states. He also has intimate knowledge of the Company through his experience as a director of one of the Company?s banking affiliates in Louisville, Kentucky.

Former shooting guard for the Milwaukee Bucks turned his athletic grit into a sprawling fast food empire. Raised in East Chicago, Ind.; father was a steelworker. "Junior" was picked in first round of the 1975 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers; promptly traded to the Bucks with three others for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Went on to rack up 11,517 career points, franchise record for most games played. Retired 1987. Bought five Wendy's franchises to generate income while planning his next career. Today controls 161 Wendy's and 118 Chili's restaurants. Total payroll: 11,000 managers, cashiers and cooks. Sales of holding company Manna Inc. in 2008: $530 million. Sits on board of PGA. Also owns small stake in Milwaukee soda bottler Black Bear Beverages.

Alphonse Fletcher, Jr.


Net worth: $150 million

Source of wealth: Investments

Residence: New York City

Age: 43

Father was a technician, mother was an elementary school principal. "Buddy" majored in applied math at Harvard University, enrolled in ROTC. Sought fortune on Wall Street while serving 10-year stint in Air Force reserves. Joined financial firm Kidder, Peabody. Personally generated $25 million in profits one year; firm allegedly refused to pay promised 25% trading commission. Left to start investment outfit Fletcher Asset Management in 1991. Average annual returns said to have topped 100% in first five years of operation. Owns hundreds of acres of land in Cornwall, Conn. In 2004 pledged $50 million with affiliates to fund programs and support individuals who promote racial equality.

A prominent black Wall Street money manager has filed a lawsuit against the Dakota, accusing the legendary New York apartment building of racial discrimination and defamation in preventing him from buying an apartment there.

Alphonse Fletcher Jr., 45, who has lived in the Dakota since 1992, filed the lawsuit after the board denied his application to buy an adjacent unit to accommodate his family. (Here is The New York Times article
and the complaint, which was filed on Tuesday in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.)

In a statement, the board of the Dakota said it had not yet reviewed the lawsuit, but that “Mr. Fletcher’s application to purchase an additional apartment in the Dakota was rejected based on financial materials he provided.”

“Any accusations of racial discrimination are untrue and outrageous,” the statement continued. “Mr. Fletcher is a longtime resident of the Dakota and served several terms on its board, recently as its president. The Dakota board is confident in the soundness of its decision.”

Internecine warfare among co-op boards is a matter best left for our colleagues in Metro or Real Estate. But let’s take a closer look at Mr. Fletcher.

He first made headlines on Wall Street 20 years ago.

Then a 25-year-old wunderkind trader fresh out of Harvard, Mr. Fletcher sued his employer, Kidder Peabody & Company, accusing the firm of paying him only half of the $5 million to $6.5 million in compensation that he said he was due.

The lawsuit (below) claimed that Kidder considered the amount “simply too much money to pay a young black man.” An arbitration panel eventually awarded Mr. Fletcher $1.3 million.

While fighting it out with Kidder, Mr. Fletcher hung up his own shingle, Fletcher Asset Management. He set up offices on the 48th floor of the General Motors Building on Fifth Avenue, among the more prestigious addresses for the hedge fund set. His specialty, according to a 1991 Wall Street Journal article, was dividend-related stock arbitrage, a strategy that uses options to accumulate large positions in companies poised to pay dividends.

Over the years Mr. Fletcher has generated headlines more for his philanthropic activity than his Wall Street pursuits. In 1994, he donated $4.5 million to Harvard to endow the Alphonse Fletcher Sr. Professorship, a position held by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

In 2004, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, Mr. Fletcher pledged $50 million to institutions and individuals working to improve race relations. (The Dakota board’s concern over his finances stemmed in part from questions over whether he had made good on his philanthropic commitments, according to the lawsuit. Apart from a few hundred thousand dollars a year Mr. Fletcher gives in charitable stipends, it is unknown how much more of the $50 million he has donated.)

Fletcher Asset Management has moved its offices several times over the years. After leaving the G.M. Building, Mr. Fletcher set up shop in a luxury townhouse at 22 East 67th, which in 2004 was sold to Phil Falcone, the hedge fund manager, for use as his personal residence. (Mr. Falcone later purchased a neighboring East 67th Street mansion from Bob Guccione, the publisher of Penthouse.) Today, Fletcher Asset Management operates from 48 Wall St. in the old Bank of New York Building.

As a privately held firm, it is not required to disclose its assets, but according to an investor presentation, Fletcher’s flagship “income arbitrage” hedge fund has generated an average net return of 8 percent a year since 1997.

Mr. Fletcher is married to Ellen Pao, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a leading venture capital firm. They have a two-year-old daughter and spend much time in Northern California, where Kleiner Perkins is based. Before his marriage to Ms. Pao, Mr. Fletcher lived in the Dakota with Hobart V. Folkes Jr., his partner of more than 10 years, according to a New York Times article in 2004 on Mr. Fletcher’s philanthropy.

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter


Born: December 4, 1969, Brooklyn, NY

Company: Roc Nation

Position: CEO

Industry: Media, Entertainment, Publishing, Fashion

Country: United States




Shawn Corey Carter aka Jay-Z has gone from a street hustler to a world famous entertainer and businessman. With a net worth estimated at $450 million.

Jay-Z is founder of Roc Nation, created out of a $150 million, 10-year, profit-sharing deal with concert giant Live Nation. He was previously CEO of Def Jam/Roc-a-fella records fro 2005 to 2007. He was a co-founders of the Roc-A-Fella empire, which includes Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc-La-Familia, Roc-A-Fella Films and Rocawear. He is also a part owner of the New Jersey Nets, paying a reported $4.5 million for his share. He is a co-own of The 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar with locations in New York City, Atlantic City and Las Vegas. He also has ownership stakes in a Greenwich Village bistro, the Spotted Pig; creative and operational control of the Rocawear clothing line which he bought from his founding partners then sold in 2007 for $204 million; and the Carol's Daughter a beauty line he co-owns.

Jay is the youngest of four kids brought up by a single mother, in Brooklyn's notorious Marcy projects. "When I left the block, everyone was saying I was crazy, I was doing well for myself on the streets, and cats around me were like, These rappers are ho's. They just record, tour, and get separated from their families, while some white person takes all their money. I was determined to do it differently," he said in a New York Metro interview.

Jay Z topped the Forbes magazine first-ever list of hip-hop Cash Kings, the top money makers in hip-hop with an estimated $34 million in 2006 earning. In 2010 Forbes put him on the cover of it's 400 "Richest People in America" issue, even though at $450 million he was only "on his way" to cracking the list where a $1 billion network minimum was required. Microsoft put up about $1 million for the marketing of his first book, "Decoded," to be published Nov. 16, 2010.
Tags: Apparel, Celebrity Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur Male, Famous Entrepreneur, Music, Roc Nation LLC, Rocawear, Shawn "Jay Z" Carter, United States

Kobe Bryant

Net worth: $140 million
Source of wealth: Basketball, endorsements
Residence: Newport Beach, Calif.
Age: 30





Son of former pro basketball player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant skipped college ball; jumped straight from high school to the NBA at age 17 in 1996. Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers; parents had to co-sign contract. Now is one of the game's premier players; 11-time All-Star and league's 2008 MVP has won three world championships with the Lakers. Endorsement deals pad earnings. Nike launched Zoom Kobe IV earlier this year; company's "lightest basketball shoe ever."

It's the latest Bryant alleged meltdown, and it's the Lakers star at his essence, anger wreaking havoc with calm, intensity swallowing up innocence.

On Sunday at St. Therese of Carmel Church in San Diego's Carmel Valley, police say, Bryant became upset at a man who he thought was taking his picture. Police said Bryant grabbed the man's cellphone in an altercation that allegedly sprained the man's wrist. Police said Bryant found no photos on the phone, returned it to the man, then left church early.

An investigation is taking place, and I know what happens now. As soon as everyone stops joking, everyone will start condemning. It's the usual reaction to Bryant's absurd theater, and I'm usually leading that parade.

But this sounds different. This feels different. For once, instead of everyone screaming, I think we should all be pausing.

I'm not saying Bryant's alleged actions were justified. I'm just saying that maybe they are understandable.

When it comes to church, I adhere to the mandate shouted by the fictional Hunchback when he once stood at the doors of Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral.

"Sanctuary! Sanctuary!"

Church is where we escape from the world's perception of us into who we actually are. Church is the one place we should be able to feel naked in a crowd with nobody looking.

Public personas do not exist at church. During the height of the USC athletic department turmoil last year, I spent several consecutive Sundays sitting several pews in front of the much-maligned Mike Garrett, yet we never exchanged a word. Maybe he never saw me, but he acted as if I were invisible, and likewise, and later when friends asked me if that was uncomfortable, I was fortunate enough to be able to say, no, that's just Mass.

Professional standings do not exist at church. I spent several springs in Vero Beach, Fla., sitting a couple of pews in front of then-Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia, often even close enough to shake hands during the Catholic sign of peace. Yet while we often talked in the clubhouse, we never spoke in that House, and it worked.

"The great thing about church is, you walk inside, and you are who you are," said Father Mike Gutierrez, pastor at St. John the Baptist in Baldwin Park and a priest for 18 years. "You're not a celebrity anymore. You're just you, and people need to give you space to be you."

Nobody has a right to grab a cellphone from anyone else. Nobody has a right to call attention to themselves in a place that represents something far bigger than him. If it turns out Bryant actually hurt this guy, then he should be forced to fill his collection basket.


Zane


I feel that if women are gonna have sex during their lifetime-- and the majority of women are-- then there's no reason that they should walk away from the experience any less satisfied than the man. I hope that by reading my books that women will realize that they're entitled to make demands or ask for certain things sexually, 'cause men do not hesitate. -- Zane

Kristina Laferne Roberts, born and raised in Washington, D.C., is the daughter of a retired elementary school teacher and a retired professor, education was important to her family. Instead of pursuing a career in English, Zane went on to study chemical engineering at Howard University.
It was only after her three children went to bed did she decide to start writing her erotic fiction novels, using the pseudonym Zane. In 1999, she started her own company, Strebor Books International LLC, which is now an imprint of ATRIA/Simon and Schuster. Under Strebor, Zane has over fifty authors publishing under her company name.

Among her long list of accomplishments, Zane is a New York Times bestselling author of nine titles including Shame On It All, Addicted, and The Sex Chronicles: Shattering the Myth. She is the only author to have three of the five bestselling titles for fiction from the magazine Essence and is a multiple winner of the Black Expressions Book of the Year. She is also the number one bestselling author ever of the Black Expressions Book. She is the winner of the NAACP 2006 Image Award for Outstanding Fiction and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Negro League Legend Hall of Fame.

William Rice

William Rice was one of the Tuskegee Airmen



the legendary group of all-black pilots who flew with distinction during World War II as the 332nd Fighter Group of the United States Air Corps.

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg was born on November 13, 1955, in New York City. She is an American comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter and Emmy Award-winning talk show host.



Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple (1985) playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the south. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won her first Golden Globe Award for her role in the film. In 1990, she starred as Oda Mae Brown, a psychic helping a slain man Patrick Swayze find his killer in the blockbuster film Ghost. This performance won her a second Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Notable later films include Sister Act (1992) and Sister Act 2 (1993), Made in America (1993), How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998), Girl, Interrupted (1999) and Rat Race (2001).

She is also acclaimed for her role as the bartender Guinan in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Goldberg has been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards for her work in television. She was the co-producer and center square of the latest edition game show Hollywood Squares from 1998 to 2002. She has achieved success on Broadway and in the music industry, and is one of 10 people who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony (EGOT) Awards. In addition, she has won a British Academy Film Award, four People's Choice Awards and has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Currently, Goldberg is moderator and co-host of The View, which earned her an Emmy in 2009. She is currently the producer of Head Games, a science themed game show.

Vernon Jordan


There is a definition of black America but no definition of white America. And we are just as mixed up in views, needs, and aspirations as any other group of people. It's never been monolithic. There's always been dissent. There's always been a difference of opinion, and a difference of approach. And that's healthy. -- Vernon Jordan



Vernon Eulion Jordan, Jr. was born August 15, 1935 in Atlanta, Georgia. Having grown up in America's Deep South, he enrolled in DePauw University where he studied political science. He later enrolled at Howard University's law school, and upon graduation, became involved with the nationwide effort to desegregate the country's colleges and universities.

In 1961, he was named field secretary for the Georgia chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He stayed in that role until 1963. In 1964, he became the director of the Southern Regional Council for the Voter Education Project. President Johnson, among others, took note of his political influence, and became part of the President's civil

rights conference. In 1970, Jordan became the director of the United Negro College Fund and helped raise $10 million. He was the President of the National Urban League from 1972-1981, where he helped advance the progress of minority hiring.

After his tenure, he moved to Washington, D.C. to a private law practice. His most famous client was President Clinton, as he helped on his transition team when Clinton was first elected in 1992. Though he never took a presidential appointment, Jordan always remained one of Clinton's closest political advisors and friends. In 2001, the NAACP presented Jordan with the Spingarn Award, its highest honor.

Dr. Montgomery-Rice

Dr. Montgomery-Rice is currently the Principal Investigator in the Menstrual or Bone Density Study to determine if the female sex hormones are higher in Black women & determine the reasons for these differences. She is also Principal Investigator in the 2D/3D Ultrasound Hysterectomy Study to determine the sensitivity & specificity of 2D ultrasound examination of fibroids compared to the 3D ultrasound; and the Xanodyne-Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Study to examine the effects of tranexamic acid in reducing menstrual bleeding.

Dr. Montgomery-Rice was also the principle investigator on a Double-Blind Randomized Placebo and Active Control Safety and Efficacy study of Baxedoxifene/Conjugated Estrogen Combination and Post Menopausal Women. She serves as an investigator on a project with the NIH funded Center for Research in Reproduction Grant at Meharry Medical College. Other research endeavors include the Women’s Health, Osteoporosis, Progestin, and Estrogen (HOPE) Study, a multi-center clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of low dose hormone therapies.

Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice is Dean of the School of Medicine and Senior Vice President for Health Affairs at Meharry Medical College. She received her undergraduate degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in chemistry before attending Harvard Medical School.


Tyler Perry


Tyler Perry was born Emmitt R. Perry, Jr., in New Orleans, Louisiana on September 14, 1969. One of four children, he is an American playwright, screenwriter, actor, director and producer of films and stage plays. His best-known character is "Madea", who is a physically imposing and overbearing, but well-intentioned, woman who serves both as comic relief and as the loud voice of conscience for the protagonists of Perry's works.



Perry changed his first name to Tyler because of his troubled relationship with his father. His father, Emmitt, Sr., was a carpenter and construction worker, and his mother, Maxine, was a pre-school teacher who worked at the New Orleans Jewish Community Center for most of her life. His childhood in New Orleans was marked by poverty and sexual abuse from his father. Perry dropped out of school when he was 16, but later went back to school to obtain his GED.

One day in 1992, while he was watching The Oprah Winfrey Show, Perry took the advice that it can be cathartic to put feelings down on paper, which inspired him to write letters of his painful childhood. These letters eventually became his plays.

This was Perry's first foray into writing, when he began keeping a journal, in part to cope with the repercussions of abuse. He developed different characters to voice different ideas in the journal. This work eventually became the musical I Know I've Been Changed about adult survivors of child abuse.

As of March 2005, Perry's plays had grossed over $75 million in ticket and DVD sales. Perry stated in a January 2004 interview in Ebony magazine that his theater productions were designed to be a bridge between the traditional urban theater circuit—historically and pejoratively referred to as the "chitlin' circuit"—and a more traditional theater format.

After a successful pilot run of his TV show, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, Perry signed a $200 million, 100-episode deal with TBS. On June 6, 2007, the first two episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne ran on TBS. Due to high ratings, House of Payne is now in syndication.

Toni Morrison


Almost all of the African-American writers that I know were very much uninterested in one particular area of the world, which is white men. That frees up a lot. It frees up the imagination, because you don't have that gaze. And when I say white men, I don't mean just the character, I mean the establishment, the reviewers, the publishers, the people who are in control. So once you erase that from your canvas, you can really play. -- Toni Morrison




Born Chloe Anthony Wofford in Ohio, Toni Morrison grew up reading the classics and listening to her father tell wonderful stories. These stories helped ignite a love of writing that led her to Howard University. After earning her B.A. in English, Toni went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in English from Cornell University.

In 1970, Morrison's first novel, The Bluest Eyes, was published. Four years later Song of Solomon, her third novel, won National Book Critics Circle Award. Her critically acclaimed Beloved earned her the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in 1988. Ten years later Beloved was made into a movie starring Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover and Thandie

Newton.

Morrison received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. Her citation read, "who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality."

Oxford University awarded her an honorary Doctor of Letters degree in June 2005. The following year the Louvre Museum in Paris honored Morrison as the second guest curator in its "Grand Invite" for a month-long series of events across the arts on the theme of "The Foreigner's Home." She currently holds a place on the editorial board of The Nation magazine.

Thelma Golden


One of the funniest experiences I had when I began working the art world is that people always assumed I worked for Thelma Golden, not that I was Thelma Golden. The kind of dismissal that comes from just people's sense that they don't imagine you are who you are actually has been one of the most powerful and liberating things for me in my work. -- Thelma Golden



As a young child growing up in Queens, New York, Thelma Golden knew early in life she wanted to be a museum curator. She first learned of the role at age 12 when she read about the pioneering African-American woman curator, Lowery Sims, of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Golden had her first hands-on training as a senior in high school, training as a curatorial apprentice at the Metropolitan Museum.

In 1991, Thelma took a position at the Whitney Museum of American Art, one of the nation's premier art institutions. Golden used her position to open up the museum to previously under-represented artists including women and people of color. Her willingness to think outside the box and show artists that might not have been shown anywhere else helped put her on the national map.

Golden made her biggest splash in 1993 as one of four curators of the Whitney Biennial. The Biennial took a somewhat controversial look at America and tough social issues such as race, gender, sexuality, AIDS, and gay rights. The show caused a quite a commotion and it was no surprise that Golden caused another controversy just a few years later by staging Black Male: Representations of Masculinity in Contemporary American Art. 29 minority artists displayed works that illustrated the current conceptions of black masculinity.

Thelma remained at the Whitney until 1999, holding various positions throughout her tenure there. In 2000, she became the deputy director for exhibitions and programs and chief curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem. She was promoted to executive director and chief curator in 2005, the position she currently holds.

TD Jakes

Thomas Dexter "T. D." Jakes Sr. was born on June 9, 1957. He is an American entrepreneur and chief pastor of the The Potter's House, a 30,000 member church in Dallas, Texas. It is a non-denominational megachurch.


His church services and evangelistic sermons are broadcast on The Potter's Touch, which airs on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, Black Entertainment Television and The Word Network. Other aspects of Jakes' ministry include an annual revival called "MegaFest" (which draws more than 100,000 people during that period of time), an annual women's conference called "Woman Thou Art Loosed", and gospel music recordings.

In the fall of 2009, Jakes plans on launching a secular daily talk show, syndicated through the CBS Television Distribution group; however, economic troubles in the industry may put his new program into jeopardy.

As a child he was known in his West Virginian neighborhood as "the Bad Bible boy." He was also told he would never be able to preach because of his "bad" lisp. Shortly after his father's death from kidney failure, Jakes decided to go into ministry.

In 1979, with very little funds of his own and with only ten initial members, he founded Greater Emmanuel Temple of Faith as a storefront church in Montgomery, West Virginia. Jakes maintained his day job digging ditches in order to support his ministry until the church was able to support him. During its first 10 years, the church grew to over 1,000 members. In 1982, Jakes turned to full-time ministry.

In 1995, when he was 38 years old, Jakes started his television ministry. In 1996 Jakes founded The Potter's House in Dallas, Texas, with about 50 families that had relocated with him from his former congregation in Cross Lanes. Jakes purchased the property, which was previously Eagle's Nest Family Church, from WV Grant after he was sentenced to 16 months in prison for tax-related crimes. In its 12-year existence it has grown to over 30,000 members.

Suzanne de Passe


Suzanne de Passe, born on July, 1951, is an American entertainment executive; the CEO of television production company de Passe Entertainment; and the first and only African-American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for screen writing.




de Passe was born in New York City, New York. She first became notable as an executive for Motown Records, a company in which she joined in 1968 after being introduced to Motown chief Berry Gordy by Supremes member Cindy Birdsong.

At Motown, de Passe helped to produce television specials such as TCB and G.I.T. on Broadway, both starring Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations, and was responsible for signing, coaching, and developing Motown's most popular act of the 1970s, The Jackson 5.


Suzan-Lori Parks


I'm encouraging people to rethink what a black play is, that a black play is perhaps a work of theatre that invites everyone to the table. A lot of the folks who came to see 'Topdog/Underdog' were African-American kids, young folks. Most of them had never really been to a play before. So that was their first experience in the theatre. They didn't know to show up when the curtain said eight o'clock. And they were coming in with their cell phones on. And it was fantastic. Often in the black community, the audience feels that they are an active participant. We have to mine those riches more and celebrate those riches more. I think often times we forget who we are. -- Suzan-Lori Parks




Suzan-Lori Parks was born into a military family May 10, 1963 in Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 1974, her father became stationed in Germany, so the entire family moved there. Instead of staying on the base and attending English-speaking schools, they attended local schools and became fluent in German.

Parks enrolled at Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts, and finished with a degree in English and German literature. After graduation, Parks spent a year in London acting so she could better understand what it meant to be part of the stage. When she returned to the US, she moved to New York City, and began writing one-act plays and performing them in local coffeehouses and bars. Her first full-length play in

1989, Imperceptible Mutabilities in the Third Kingdom, won her an Obie award for Off-Broadway's award for best new play.

Since then, she has gone on to write numerous successful plays, none more so than 2001's TopDog/Underdog, which earned her the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that year, becoming the first African-American to receive the honor. She has also been a recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" Award as well as named by Time Magazine as one of the "100 Innovators for the Next New Wave." Her 2007's 365 Plays/365 Days has been produced in over 700 theaters worldwide, creating one of the largest grassroots collaborations in theater history.

Susan Rice


I just get pissed off at that old school mentality that says, 'Well, somebody's got a white mother or a white father and they ain't black enough,' or, 'They went to Harvard, so they can't be really down.' When we gonna get past that? It's old thinking to assume that what's good for African-Americans is the opposite of what's good for white folks. Why do we have to have that zero sum mentality at this point? Why can't we all get better healthcare and better education? I'm an optimist. And so when I get angry, it's easy for me to channel it into just doing more and doing it harder and trying to do it better. -- Susan Rice




Dr. Susan Rice was raised in Washington D.C. and growing up in the world of politics helped shape her life. Her father was a governor of the Federal Reserve and her mother is an education policy scholar. Rice got her first taste of power as the student council president at the National Cathedral School for Girls, where she was also valedictorian.

Rice graduated from Stanford University with a degree in History in 1986. As a Rhodes Scholar she earned her Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy from New College in Oxford. Her dissertation was honored as the United Kingdom's most distinguished dissertation in International Relations by the Chatham House-British International Studies Association.

After beginning her career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, she worked for the National Security Council from 1993-1997. For two years she was the Director for International Organizations and Peacekeeping, and then she was named the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs. For the next four years she served as the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

In 2001, Rice went to work for the Brookings Institution, one of the oldest think tanks in America. She is on leave from her position there while she serves as foreign policy adviser to presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Steve Stoute

Steve Stoute was born in Queens, New York in 1971. He briefly attended Syracuse University before leaving for a position as a band manager in 1990. He became involved with the production team TrackMasters and worked on songs for such artists as Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, L.L. Cool J. and Will Smith.




Stoute became an Artists & Repertoire (A & R) executive with Sony Records and then for the Interscope label. In 1998, he became President of Black Music at Interscope. He is probably best known as rapper Nas' manager. After having mild success

with his first album, Nas hired Stoute and his second album went double-platinum.

Music was not the only field in which Stoute excelled in. He founded his first marketing company, PASS, with Peter Arnell in 2001 and a year later the two sold it to Cultura. Stoute then teamed up with hip-hop mogul Jay-Z to form Translation Advertising, an agency that aims to help mainstream companies reach multicultural consumers. Some of their successful pairings include Hewlett-Packard with Gwen Stefani and Beyonce Knowles with Tommy Hilfiger.