Being first is one of the initial rules you learn when you get into business.
In honor of celebrating the works of our present and past successful black businespeople, we take a look back at what was said when these notable personalities joined the social media behemoth.
Through utilizing the Twitter tool called #FirstTweet, Black Enterprise navigated the treacherous waters to find those baby tweets thought to be long erased from the world’s memory. Don’t fret, our own beginnings were mired in wanting to be the first (and only) place for black people to gain credible wealth creation tips.
Without further ado, here are the 10 first tweets from successful Black businessmen.
Oprah Winfrey
The billionaire interviewing queen was super gracious to her warm reception after joining Twitter.
Shawn Carter
Jay Z has actually been on Twitter since 2008 but never really used it much until later on. His first tweet was a message to Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson from the legendary Roots crew.
Russell Simmons
The father of Def Jam Records wasn’t quite sure how to use Twitter while meditating, so he thought it best to test the social media waters first.
Bob Johnson
There’s no stopping the former BET founder’s hustle at all. Which is why it’s no surprise that he would instinctively tweet BusinessWeek as his initial mark on Twitter.
Sean Combs
The Bad Boy Records founder was in pure “can’t stop, won’t stop” mode when he launched his first tweet from the set of CBS’s “CSI.”
Earvin “Magic” Johnson
One of our preeminent businessmen joined Twitter in 2011, but since then has used it to help change the culture in the NBA.
Debra Lee
The CEO of Black Entertainment Television is never too far from the audience she serves. With her first tweet though, she chose to keep it personal by professing her love for the Washington Redskins.
Tracey Edmonds
Babyface’s ex-wife and business partner has been quite successful since entering the single life. Her first tweet in 2011 found her enjoying food at the famed Hollywood restaurant, Yamashiro.
Pharrell Williams
The i am OTHER founder and leader of the “Happy” movement hopped aboard Twitter to profess his love for the fans that have supported him over the years. A kind gesture that is not only the embodiment of being social, but also gained him almost 350 retweets.
Tyra Banks
The former supermodel and current daytime talk show star didn’t quite exactly make her arrival to Twitter pop like the others on this list. But you cannot deny that it was definitely full of her tried-and-true charisma.
What was your first tweet ever made? Share it with us in the comments section below.