# Sheila Johnson

_American businesswoman_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/sheila-johnson
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Sheila Crump Johnson (born January 25, 1949) is an American businesswoman, who co-founded BET and is the CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts. In 2001, she became the first Black female billionaire after the purchase of BET by Viacom.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 25 January 1949 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7493074#P569))
- **Place of birth:** McKeesport ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7493074#P19))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7493074#P27))
- **Occupation:** businessperson; editor; film producer; violinist; music arranger ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7493074#P106))
- **Education:** University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Proviso East High School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7493074#P69))
- **Spouse:** Robert L. Johnson ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7493074#P26))
- **Awards:** Virginia Women in History; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7493074#P166))

## About

Johnson is a vice chairman and partner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, a professional sports holding company which manages the Washington Capitals (NHL), the Washington Wizards (NBA), and the Washington Mystics (WNBA). Johnson is CEO of Salamander Hospitality, a company she founded in 2005.  Salamander's portfolio includes: Reunion Resort in Reunion, Florida, The Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, a 900-acre (3.6 km2), 72 hole PGA tour golf course in Palm Harbor, FL, Hotel Bennett in Charleston, South Carolina; Half Moon in Montego Bay, Jamaica; Aurora Anguilla in British West Indies; and The Salamander Resort & Spa in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Middleburg, Virginia.

## Questions

**When was Sheila Johnson born?**  
Sheila Johnson was born on 25 January 1949 in McKeesport.

**Where did Sheila Johnson study?**  
Sheila Johnson was educated at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Proviso East High School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Sheila Johnson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheila_Johnson) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q7493074](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7493074) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Sheila Johnson at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.JPG by David Shankbone (CC BY 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sheila_Johnson_at_the_2008_Tribeca_Film_Festival.JPG)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Sheila Johnson, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Sheila Johnson at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.JPG — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Sheila Johnson". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/sheila-johnson. Retrieved 6 November 2026.