Forbesblk

09/11/2025

Thursday is a day of remembrance, advocacy, and service dedicated to honoring the lives lost in the September 11, 2001 attacks. Every year, the families of the victims gather for a ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza, where they read the names of those who perished. Among those remembered is my aunt, Celeste Torres Victora. For many who are old enough to remember, it is a day impossible to forget.

As a native New Yorker, I’ve heard countless stories from family and neighbors recalling exactly where they were the day of the attacks. The flashbacks of a city shut down, subways closed, and the surreal journey home. According to Pew Research, “93% of those 30 and older say they remember exactly where they were on 9/11.” But what stands out in these stories isn’t just the shock, but the unity that followed.

In a city known for its grit and fast pace, there was a sudden shift – one of resilience, compassion, and solidarity in the aftermath.When the smoke, ashes and dust cleared from the site of the attack, Steve Forbes recounts, “What emerged was an astonishing display of strength of our civil society. Restaurants organized food deliveries for first responders; local mariners evacuated hundreds of thousands of stranded people; individuals and groups poured resources into stricken New York City.”

09/10/2025

There is a new richest person in Black America. On Tuesday, Forbes released the annual Forbes 400 ranking of the nation’s wealthiest people. Four members of the ranking are Black.

The richest of all is tech entrepreneur Alexander Karp, the cofounder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, who is worth an estimated $14.3 billion.

Karp, 56, has rarely spoken publicly about his racial identity, though he was raised by a Jewish father and a Black mother. “Some Black people think I’m Black, some don’t. I view me as me,” he told The New York Times in August 2024. Karp appeared on the ForbesBLK 50 last year and ranked as the world’s fourth-wealthiest Black billionaire in April.

Karp’s net worth has quadrupled since the 2024 Forbes list, thanks to a 400% jump in the share price of Palantir. That pushed him past David Steward, the founder and chairman of IT provider World Wide Technology (WWT), who was the richest Black American last year. Steward is now the second-richest Black billionaire in the U.S., with an estimated net worth of $12.4 billion. Third place belongs to Robert F. Smith, who created Vista Equity Partners, the largest Black-owned private equity firm in America, and who is worth an estimated $10 billion. NBA great Michael Jordan is the fourth Black American on this year’s Forbes 400 list, with an estimated fortune of $3.8 billion.

09/09/2025

The countdown is ON! Just one month away until the 2025 and time is running out to register. Join Kandi Burruss, Robert Smith, Emma Grede, Stephen A. Smith, Hannah Bronfman and more in Atlanta, GA from Oct. 8-10. This is where Black excellence, innovation, and leadership take center stage.

Tickets are selling fast. Register today! Link in Bio.

08/27/2025

Atlanta is the place to be this October! The 2025 ForbesBLK Summit is bringing together changemakers and cultural icons for an unforgettable experience. Get inspired by powerhouse voices like Wyclef Jean, Latham Thomas, The Hon. E. David Burt, Candace Mitchell, Brian Laung Aoaeh and more!

Register today! Looking to enhance your experience? Upgrade to the General Attendee PLUS ticket. Link in bio.

08/27/2025

The 2025 US Open theme, “75 Years of Breaking Barriers,” focuses on Althea Gibson, who in 1950 became the first Black person to play at the United States Lawn Tennis Championships (now the US Open).

The USTA is honoring Gibson with a Marvel Comic Book, special events, artwork, tributes and by flashing images of her across court-side LED screens during matches.

“I’m really excited to go to New York and go to Flushing Meadows, to see, you know, all the things that the USTA is commemorating for Althea Gibson,” said Taylor Townsend, the WTA’s No. 1-ranked doubles player, in an interview with me. “I think it’s long overdue to give her flowers. . .I think it’s also an opportunity on a huge stage and a huge platform to talk and give voice to not only the things that she went through and the things that she overcame, but her successes and highlight, how successful that she was.”

08/26/2025

Forbes will be returning to Atlanta this fall for its signature ForbesBLK Summit, partnering with the historic HBCU Morehouse College for the first time to host the third annual event, from October 8-10, 2025. The 2025 ForbesBLK Summit will continue to serve as the central meeting place for ascendant Black business leaders in America and convene those driving impactful transformations with their world-changing initiatives.

This year’s Summit theme, Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Opportunity: A New Path to Economic Prosperity, is a powerful call to action for building what comes next during a pivotal time as the impact of Black entrepreneurship, investment and cultural creation are dominating the global media landscape. In the bustling city of Atlanta, the three-day event will explore key trends and developments at the forefront of today’s business leaders’ minds and learn how visionary disruptors are forging new pathways to wealth.

08/22/2025

On the Yard, innovation is everything—and HBCU entrepreneurs are leading the charge.

Welcome to ‘The Yard to Market,’ ForbesBLK’s newest series highlighting HBCU founders, entrepreneurs and market-movers changing the game, building wealth, and impacting their communities.

Meet Hadiyah Mujhid, a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Mujhid found her answer in HBCUvc, a venture capitalist training program aimed at HBCU students. Created in 2017, the non-profit organization has a bold mission to build “an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation leaders” that promotes generational wealth for diverse communities.

08/22/2025

Meet The Houston Entrepreneur That Built A Real Estate Company Worth Millions

Kevan Shelton, CEO of Park Street Homes, joins Forbes senior writer Jabari Young on The Enterprise Zone during Black Business Month. In the interview, Shelton discusses the expansion of his real estate development company which is valued at $20 million, according to PitchBook data. Additionally, Shelton shares why he’s advocating for more Black men to purchase real estate and provides his perspective on the current U.S. housing landscape.

08/18/2025

Step into the arena with today’s biggest finance & investment titans at the 2025 in Atlanta, GA on October 8-10. Hear directly from the experts including Wemimo Abbey, Melissa Bradley, Alden McDonald, Promise Phelon and Robert Smith.

Be in the room with the power player’s driving economic change. Register today, link in bio!

08/11/2025

The 15-year, $765 million contract Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets in December gave the 26-year-old slugging outfielder the all-time mark for the largest deal in professional sports. But the agent who negotiated that landmark contract didn’t even need it to maintain his place atop the financial leaderboard.

Scott Boras, founder and president of the Southern California-based Boras Corporation, is once again the most powerful sports agent in North American team sports, with commissions of up to $244 million on an estimated $4.89 billion in active playing contracts under management as of December 31, 2024. That record-setting commissions figure represents a 28% increase from the last time Forbes published the agent ranking, in 2022.

Boras has now landed in the top spot nine times across the 10 editions of the Forbes list, which made its debut in 2013 and is sorted by the maximum commissions that agents can earn based on the standard fee percentage in each league. The lone exception was in 2019, when Boras dropped behind soccer super-agent Jonathan Barnett; however, Forbes has confined its 2022 and 2025 rankings to North America, setting aside Europeans like Barnett, who is now retired and has been accused of r**e and trafficking. (Barnett has denied the claims.)

On this year’s list, Jeff Schwartz, CEO of Excel Sports Management and a powerful NBA agent, remains No. 2 with $113 million in maximum commissions on an estimated $2.84 billion in active contracts. Rich Paul, a fellow basketball agent and the founder of Klutch Sports Group, rounds out the top three with $111 million in maximum commissions on an estimated $2.77 billion in active contracts.

08/08/2025

08/08/2025

✨ Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2025 ForbesBLK Summit! ✨

Join us October 8-10 in Atlanta to explore Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Opportunity: A New Path to Economic Prosperity. Connect with top Black leaders, entrepreneurs and creators for bold conversations, networking and inspiration. Register now: http://on.forbes.com/6183fYOvX