Reginald F. Lewis: The First African American to Own a Billion-Dollar Company

Reginald Lewis with key players in the Beatrice deal team. Image Credit

When we talk about trailblazers in business, few stories are as powerful — or as under-told — as that of Reginald F. Lewis so let me tell you his story…

Born 7th December 1942 in Baltimore, Maryland, Reginald was the first person to get into Harvard Law School without formally applying, he founded the first African American law firm on Wall Street, he was the first African American ever to close an overseas billion dollar leveraged buyout deal and the first Black man to own a billion-dollar business — TLC Beatrice International Foods.

Growing up at a time when there were heightened civil rights issues, especially in Baltimore, Reginald became a celebrated lawyer, social justice advocate, philanthropist and he set the blueprint for hugely successful entrepreneurs to follow.

Reginald F. Lewis: From Baltimore to Billion Dollar Business

His parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts always encouraged Lewis to, “Be the best that you can be” and that’s just what he did.

At ten years-old, an entrepreneurial young Reginald set up a delivery route to sell the Afro-American newspaper. After building the business from ten customers to more than a hundred in two years, he sold the route…