Black Elites

Markets, capital and the companies redefining the global economy.

Deep reporting on the deals, firms and industries where the next chapter of wealth is being written.

In business

How Jordan Peele Made Original Horror the Safest Bet in Hollywood

When Jordan Peele started Monkeypaw Productions in 2012, the mid-budget original movie was in bad shape. Studios had spent a decade running from anything that wasn’t already intellectual...

The “Boring Business” Math — What Does a $300K-Profit Plumbing Company Actually Cost?

A $900,000 acquisition may require about $98,000 in buyer equity. The numbers become less comfortable once the seller’s work, ageing vehicles, and monthly loan payments enter the calculation. A...

The SBA Loan Built for Buying a Business — Who Actually Qualifies?

A franchise has come into the market for $900,000. Same address for six years. Staff staying on. A seller with tax returns that match what actually showed up in the bank account. A lender looking at...

Sergio Hudson x Camille Rose: Rewriting Black Beauty, Luxury, and Who Gets to Sell the Dream

January 20, 2021 was cold and mostly empty in DC. The pandemic had everything locked down, but when Michelle Obama walked out in that plum Sergio Hudson suit with the wide belt, the internet broke...

What If Your First Business Was One Someone Else Already Built?

Your first business does not have to begin with an empty shop, an untested location and several months of expenses before the first meaningful sale. It could begin with staff already working...

The “Silver Tsunami” Is Coming. Who Will Own the Businesses Left Behind?

The next owner of a small American business may first hear about it from an accountant, a supplier or a commercial banker. By the time the company appears on a broker’s website, other prospective...

When the Business Looks Like Its Founder, What Happens When They Step Away?

Consider a company with 80 employees, offices in three cities and several million dollars in annual sales. Its founder commands a large online audience, attracts media coverage and gives the gets...

5 Ways to Find Business Ideas Worth Pursuing

Many aspiring founders begin with a sheet of paper and an order to “think big.” Soon it is covered with fashionable industries, personal interests and predictions about the next big thing. The...

5 Reasons Why Promoting Your Business Feels Like a Humiliation Ritual

There is a quiet, specific indignity that comes with promoting a new venture. It happens online when a launch post meets absolute silence — and it hits just as hard in person. You mention your new...