SHEILA JOHNSON

CHAIR & CEO, SALAMANDER HOTELS & RESORTS

“There are a lot of male egos out there that cannot deal with highly successful women,” the first black woman to attain a net worth of at least $1 billion has said. “And it’s their problem.” Johnson founded Salamander Hospitality, which owns, manages, and develops hotels, resorts, and inns, in 2005. The company’s portfolio includes: Reunion Resort located in Kissimmee, Florida; The InnisBrook Resort and Golf Club, a 900-acre, 72-hole PGA tour golf course in Palm Harbor, Florida; and The Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, nestled near the Blue Ridge Mountains. A founding partner of Black Entertainment Television (BET) with her ex-husband, Bob Johnson, she is the only African American woman with ownership in three professional sports teams: the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals, which won the Stanley Cup in 2018, and the Washington Mystics, which won the WNBA Finals in 2019.

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