From Publishers Weekly
Against overwhelming odds, BET founder Robert Johnson blasted through social and economic barriers using his intelligence and charm, first establishing himself in the realm of Washington politics and later in the media business. One might think his rags-to-riches story would be incredibly uplifting. But in this unauthorized biography, Pulley (a senior editor at Forbes and well-known expert on the business of entertainment) reports that Johnson’s methods were anything but noble. Though he created the first black-owned and -operated cable company, Pulley says, Johnson had little interest in raising the quality of the programming that BET offered to the black community, despite that community’s loyalty to his channel. (In Canada, blacks even lobbied to have BET carried on their cable systems.) From the very start, Pulley argues, Johnson’s goal was to become a billionaire, period. And he realized his dream when he sold his company to Viacom in 1999. Along the way he shed friends, associates and even family members who ceased to be useful in carrying out his business plans, Pulley says, and he also refused to compensate (or even to thank) many of those who helped him in moving forward, including the man who gave him the business plan that he used to find his original investors. Pulley’s research in this volume is quite impressive; he interviewed all of Johnson’s most important BET colleagues. And though his prose occasionally leans towards the purple, overall the book is written in a clean, easy-to-follow style. His eye-opening biography will make many readers view Johnson in a new way, and may leave some hoping that there is another side to this cynical story.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Still at BET Helm, Johnson Turns to Sports and Hotels" (Washington Post, May 17, 2004)
Those interested in business are not the only ones who will welcome The Billion Dollar BET (Wiley; 24.95). Robert Johnson’s rise from humble beginnings in Hickory, Miss and Freeport, Ill to bone a fide American billionaire is packed with all the elements of great stories. In addition to a healthy dose of drive and determination, there is a large helping of alleged backstabbing, extramarital affairs, corporate meltdowns and showdowns.
Regardless of how some folks feel about BET, author Brett Pulley couches Johnson’s accomplishments in the historical context of both black American history and the cable industry. Like it or not, Johnson is a trailblazer. He is also proof positive of just how far hard work and tremendous opportunity can take you.
Most surprising to some maybe Johnson’s own grandiose ideas of what BET might have become. Like many of his critics, Johnson himself envisioned a channel with original and educational programming. Economic realities, however, led him to make music videos.
Yes, this type book is a far cry from the girlfriend fare that dominates black book shel ves, but, if given a chance, it can be just as titillating. --Ronda Racha Price (Upscale, April 2004)
The rags-to-riches rise of the nation's first black billionaire is a great story no matter how you tell it. And The Billion Dollar BET (John Wiley & Sons, $24.95), by Forbes senior editor Brett Pulley, is filled with enough sex, villains, and betrayal to make it a guilty pleasure.
At the center of the drama is Bob Johnson, who built a $15,000 bank loan into a media empire. Johnson refused to cooperate for the book, but Pulley had extensive access before deciding to write. Plenty of other key players (even Johnson's former wife of 32 years) were willing to dish on everything from 4 a.m. phone calls from the boss to his extramarital affairs.
What makes Johnson's life more than fodder for an E! True Hollywood Story, however, is the intersection of race and business. Johnson constantly reminds detractors that "the 'E' in BET does not stand for enlightenment or education but entertainment." Many hoped that Johnson, the first African American with such control over TV, would take a higher road. Pulley does address the issue, but one wishes he had spent even more time on the tensions black executives face balancing financial concerns and responsibility to the race. (Fortune, March 22, 2004)
Review
"Still at BET Helm, Johnson Turns to Sports and Hotels" (Washington Post, May 17, 2004)
"...regardless of how some folks feel about BET, author Brett Pulley couches Johnson's accomplishments in the historical context of both black American history and the cable industry." (Upscale, April 2004)
"[this book] is filled with enough sex, villians, and betrayal to make it a guilty pleasure." (Fortune, March 22, 2004)
Book Description
Praise for The Billion Dollar BET "This book provides insight into one of the great trailblazers of American business. Bob Johnson has been and continues to be an inspiration to me personally. He is a man who has persevered, overcome obstacles–personally and professionally–and has succeeded in spite of the challenges and adversity along his journey. Bob has created a successful game plan for other entrepreneurs to follow, and has accomplished the unthinkable. Read and learn about one of the most inspiring men of our time." –Isiah Thomas NBA Hall of Famer and President, New York Knicks "In a gripping narrative that is both inspirational and cautionary, Brett Pulley tells us how Robert Johnson built Black Entertainment Television into a billion dollar media empire. In a remarkable feat of reporting, without Johnson’s cooperation, Pulley shows what it really takes to get ahead in America today, and in doing so provides as valuable a cultural as business history." –James B. Stewart Pulitzer Prize—winning journalist and author of the bestsellers, Den of Thieves and Heart of a Soldier "Like or dislike? Agree or disagree? Bob Johnson’s richly varied and fascinating life presses you against the window that Brett Pulley opens widely." –Bernard Shaw retired CNN anchor "Through his BET network, Bob Johnson reached the pinnacle of capitalism, the billionaire boys club, in the spirit of legions of driven, American moguls...Veteran business journalist Brett Pulley peels back the layers of this fascinating and complex entrepreneur." –Teri Agins senior special writer, The Wall Street Journal and author of The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever
Download Description
The first-ever in-depth look at one of the greatest business stories of our time
A true heavyweight in the star-studded world of media entertainment, Robert Johnson, the creator of Black Entertainment Television (BET), turned a revolutionary idea and a $15,000 personal loan into a multibillion-dollar empire. As one of the richest black men in America as well as its first black billionaire, Johnson’s success with BET has been a social examination into both race and capitalism with his many detractors holding him to a higher standard of cultural responsibility from which his competitors are exempt. Engaging and informative, The Billion Dollar BET skillfully examines Johnson’s humble origins, his dogged and inspired climb to the top, and his often controversial tenure at the helm of one of the most influential media outlets in the country. This book takes readers on a fascinating journey, beginning with Johnson’s days in rural Illinois, his graduate life at Princeton University, and his role as a cable industry lobbyist on Capitol Hill. The Billion Dollar BET also details how Johnson courted media titans such as John Malone and Sumner Redstone and convinced them to play vital roles in BET’s success. Readers will also learn how BET quickly spread across the country and took on far greater social significance than even Johnson ever imagined. Filled with revealing anecdotes and never-reported details of Johnson’s life, his business philosophy, and the world inside BET, this story will teach readers even more about business, race, and themselves.
From the Inside Flap
The American dream is still alive, and if you don’t believe it just take a close look at Robert L. Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and a man who has traveled the classic American journey from humble origins to unimaginable wealth. Born to a poor family in Mississippi, Johnson, the son of factory workers and the only one among his ten siblings to attend college, parlayed a $15,000 loan in 1979 into Black Entertainment Television, one of the cable industry’s richest franchises. Written by award-winning journalist Brett Pulley, The Billion Dollar BET is the first-ever in-depth look at one of the most enigmatic and important entrepreneurs of our time. This revealing book offers a colorful portrait of a brilliant and relentlessly focused businessman, whose life is a window into race, culture, and capitalism. From Johnson’s rural Mississippi roots and early years in blue-collar Illinois, to his graduate life at Princeton University and career as a cable industry lobbyist on Capitol Hill, The Billion Dollar BET traces his inspired climb to the top and his often controversial tenure at the helm of one of the most influential media outlets in the country. You’ll discover how Johnson won the support of media titans John Malone and Sumner Redstone, and watch as BET begins to take on far greater social significance than even Johnson could ever have imagined. You’ll also learn how Johnson handled pivotal events in the company’s history, such as the public attacks on BET’s program content and the decision to sell the firm to media giant Viacom. Much more than a corporate analysis of profits and losses, The Billion Dollar BET is a story about savvy, vision, timing, determination, failure, scandal, love, and sex–all the things that occur behind the scenes as a company and its leader grow up. It reveals an ambition and fiery determination that burned so hot that friendships were shattered, family relationships destroyed, and hearts broken. Filled with revealing anecdotes and never-reported details of Johnson’s life and business acumen, The Billion Dollar BET is a classic American business tale. This is the story of the greatest $15,000 bet ever made. It is the story of Robert Louis Johnson and the billion-dollar empire that he built.
From the Back Cover
Praise for The Billion Dollar BET "This book provides insight into one of the great trailblazers of American business. Bob Johnson has been and continues to be an inspiration to me personally. He is a man who has persevered, overcome obstacles–personally and professionally–and has succeeded in spite of the challenges and adversity along his journey. Bob has created a successful game plan for other entrepreneurs to follow, and has accomplished the unthinkable. Read and learn about one of the most inspiring men of our time." –Isiah Thomas NBA Hall of Famer and President, New York Knicks "In a gripping narrative that is both inspirational and cautionary, Brett Pulley tells us how Robert Johnson built Black Entertainment Television into a billion dollar media empire. In a remarkable feat of reporting, without Johnson’s cooperation, Pulley shows what it really takes to get ahead in America today, and in doing so provides as valuable a cultural as business history." –James B. Stewart Pulitzer Prize—winning journalist and author of the bestsellers, Den of Thieves and Heart of a Soldier "Like or dislike? Agree or disagree? Bob Johnson’s richly varied and fascinating life presses you against the window that Brett Pulley opens widely." –Bernard Shaw retired CNN anchor "Through his BET network, Bob Johnson reached the pinnacle of capitalism, the billionaire boys club, in the spirit of legions of driven, American moguls...Veteran business journalist Brett Pulley peels back the layers of this fascinating and complex entrepreneur." –Teri Agins senior special writer, The Wall Street Journal and author of The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever
About the Author
BRETT PULLEY is a senior editor at Forbes magazine, where he writes primarily about the media and entertainment industries. He has authored several cover stories including the 2001 Forbes 400 on Robert Johnson. Prior to joining Forbes in September 1999, he spent five years at the New York Times, where he covered economic development, politics, and was a national correspondent. He also spent several years as a correspondent at the Wall Street Journal, writing extensively on business and race. His front-page feature for the Wall Street Journal on the black-owned company, Johnson Products, won a first-place award from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). He received a second NABJ award for a feature written for Savoy magazine, where he served as a contributor. He has also written for several other publications, including USA Today and Emerge magazine. He is a frequent guest on many television programs, providing commentary and insight on media and entertainment news and issues. Pulley currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two young daughters.
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