Kenya Barris, Shaquille O'Neal, and 50 Cent are the latest to enter the chat regarding the BET bidding wars. The three moguls were reportedly seen discussing a potential business deal about purchasing the historic brand outside of Paramount’s New York City offices.
Last month, the Wall Street Journal broke the news that Paramount would be selling a predominate amount of its ownership in BET, which prompted a variety of interested parties to rise to the surface. Since that time, Tyler Perry and Sean "Diddy" Combs have expressed that they are interested in purchasing a majority stake in the brand as well, prompting social media to sound off—as concerned viewers, of course—on who they feel would carry BET in the right direction.
A cherished tentpole of contemporary Black culture, Robert L. Johnson—the founder of BET—sold the company to Paramount (formerly a Viacom entity) in 2000 for $2.34 billion, making him the first Black billionaire in history. There is no word on when Paramount aims to identify a top bidder.
