Customer Reviews

The Billion Dollar BET: Robert Johnson and the Inside Story of Black Entertainment Television

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The Billion Dollar BET is a biography that will surely have you reading until the very last page. The author provides a very clear picture of the man Robert Johnson. From the details of his humble beginnings to his educational background and finally into the business world, Brett Pulley provides the recipe of success that led Mr. Johnson to his ultimate goal of being media titan. This book is a must read for all young entrepenuers as it provides several key lessons that must be mastered if one is to dedicate themselves to an emerging business.

Finally the book is done is with great respect for Robert Johnson as the author dives into all topics, he choses to note how the personal challenges affected his business performance and business relationships.

I am certainly looking forward to Mr. Pulley's next book.

The fascinating rags-to-riches story of Robert L. Johnson, the U.S.'s first black billionaire, has all the makings of a great novel: personality, determination, opportunity, scandal, backstabbing and tremendous success. Against all odds, this child of a poor, black rural family became a media pioneer and a very wealthy man. A visionary, he started Black Entertainment Television (BET) with $15,000, four employees, and incredible energy and ambition. Judging by the amount of money he made, his success is clear, although biographer Brett Pulley says his track record in social responsibility is muddier. We recommend Pulley's remarkably even-handed, in-depth portrayal of this enigmatic, controversial, often hard-hearted mogul.

I found The Billion Dollar BET to be both fascinating and intriguing. It was especially riveting when Brett Pulley took the readers into the boardrooms and behind the scenes where many of the private deals were being made. This book took me back to the Barbarians at the Gate where the players involved were very descriptive and the rapidily changing deals were exciting. I thought the story of Robert Johnson was a very necessary story that had to be told. The process in which Robert Johnson built his fortune was based on a very simple business premise; keep revenues up and cut costs. His sense of business savvy as well as his excellent market-timing were some of the fundemental reasons for his success. This book should be read by anyone interested in being successful in their careers and follow Robert Johnsons "Blue Print for Success".

Brett Pulley pulls together one of the most in depths pieces ever written on a black businessman, not just any black businessman, but the man behind BET. Brett pulls all stops on getting the nitty gritty on BET from the first scandal to Bob Johnson's billion dollar deal with Viacom. Pulley reaches into the black community, along with the media world and close personal friends of Johnson to get the story of a lifetime. Robert L Johnson is an even-tempered businessman with his heart set on making a deal as cheap as possible. He started BET with a $ 15,000 loan and thus paving the way for many up and coming African American entertainment moguls. Those who know Johnson personally would say he put the E in BET, which stands for entertainment. According to this book, Bob pulled out of business deals at the last minute, because he didn't want to put up a bulk of money to front the cost of production or any thing else he felt that was considered unnecessary. But Johnson always stood by his word and made powerful decisions, as he felt necessary. From the day he met his $15,000 obligation he built his way to a billion dollar deal with media powerhouse Viacom and went on to buy the Charlotte Bobcats of the NBA and the Charlotte Stings of the WNBA.

This book fits any American who understands what its like to have a dream and sit down and make the plans to achieve this dream to its fullest. The book itself allowed me to look at someone else go through the trial and tribulations of building an idea into a multibillion dollar situation it allows anyone with dreams to see hope.

I am CEO of what I hope to someday be a fortune 500 company. Its very hard to find mentors or people who can identify with the struggles of being a young entrepreneur. This book served as a form of inspiration at a time when it was truly needed. Its hard being a pioneer in an industry predominated by established Giants. Everybody has a opinion of you and you are constantly being scrutinized and held to different standards than your counterparts. Thank You Mr. Pulley for writing this book. It was informative and will help me to keep my eyes on the prize despite adversity. H. Terrell CEO Common Ground USA www.jimmiehatz.com

At last we find out what makes billionaire enigma Bob Johnson tick! (Basically the same thing that motivates most other business heavyweights. Mad Bling!) Mr. Pulley's book finally reveals how Mr. Johnson copes with the cacophony of disapproving black sentiment that seems to have swirled around BET since it burst onto the scene. He simply checks his bank statement. Billion Dollar BET is a fast-paced, didactic read, digressing only when necessary in order to embellish key players or pivotal situations in the Johnson saga. Mr. Pulley--through Bob Johnson's daring progression from dirt dauber to NBA owner--gives us an education in high-stakes business and negotiations. He even makes mega-million dollar stock wrangling and financial jargon understandable to the lay reader. The best parts, of course, are the juicy personal dramas--infidelity, jealousy, betrayal, the works--that unfold off the set and within the Johnson family clan. This book crosses so many lines and will appeal to disciples of many different literature genres.

It's impossible to have respect for him or his enterprise. I guess it's okay to sell off a culture for money. Can you imagine the positive influence he would have had if he'd chosen to use his enterprise to uplift, inspire and to make money?

My girlfriend's son was doing an assignment and I suggested he do it on Robert Johnson the first African American Billionaire. I purchased this book and read it in a day. I felt this book was very well researched and I enjoyed it. Robert Johnson was all about money and success nothing else. He did not care how he got it whether it was dirty videos or cheating artists out of money. I will give him credit his network BET gave a lot of people chances such as D.L. Hughley, Monique, Ananda Lewis to name a few. Those were some people who we may have never seen had it not been for BET. I am a fan of business and I understand we all have to make sacrifices but some of his ways I think were wrong. He cheated on his wife from the beginning, even fired her because her show Teen Summit was not where he thought it should be. He paid the comics on ComicView a one time appearance fee and then had re-runs of the episodes all the time and never paid them any residual income. He sacrificed great positive shows to show videos that are raunchy and disrespectful. When he got closer to the top he broke down more and more people. As far as making money there is no denying, Robert Johnson knows business but the question to me is at what cost? If you are willing to portray images you may not necessarily agree with, cheat on your wife, fire people who were there from the beginning of your journey, lose your family all for money and success then Robert Johnson maybe a great role model for you. I respect Robert Johnson in the fact he made lots of money and has success but with anything in life there is a cost... So What Price Are You Willing To Pay For Success????

After having spent 15 years as a lonely African-American in corporate America, reading non-fiction books about boring business moguls who I couldn't identify with, searching hopelessly for a book which would inspire, inform, and engage me, along came the Billion Dollar BET - at last!!! Brett Pulley does an excellent job of taking a potentially boring, dry subject matter, adds his special author's flair, and creates an entertaining, informative business biography! This human touch invites the reader to not just understand the chronology of Robert Johnson's path to his billions but to also embrace the backstories of the life choices of Bob Johnson. A MUST READ!!

Brett Pulley pulls together one of the most in depths pieces ever
written on a black businessman, not just any black businessman, but the man behind BET. Brett pulls all stops on getting the nitty gritty on BET from the first scandal to Bob Johnson's billion dollar deal with Viacom. Pulley reaches into the black community, along with the media world and close personal friends of Johnson to get the story of a lifetime.

This book fits any American who understands what its like to have a dream and sit down and make the plans to achieve this dream to its fullest. The book itself allowed me to look at someone else go through the trial and tribulations of building an idea into a multibillion dollar situation it allows anyone with dreams to see hope.