Reginald F. Lewis and the Making of a Billion Dollar Empire

[Music] from modest beginnings in Baltimore Maryland to an international billion-dollar Empire my grandfather said know your job and I can promise you'll never be in a bread line since the beginning Reginald F Lewis was destined for success I signed him up for camp and he said who's gonna take care of my business and I say I will and the first thing he said when he walked through the door where's my money a man with an unconventional approach to conventional institutions I was told that he is the only person to get into Harvard Law School without formally applying is a nightmare about reading Louis's that take-charge kind of a guy sure if reached for me Reggie grabs the sheriff's officer wait a minute who are you I'm the High Sheriff who are you and where's I'm Reggie Lewis I represent Reb insurance yes he was a Wall Street highly-trained corporate lawyer but he was a strong freedom fighter for civil rights he was Jesse Jackson's first big funder handing Jesse Jackson $100,000 check unsolicited reg Lewis in many ways was the Jackie Robinson of business I have to admit when I first met reg I wasn't told that he was black there weren't that many black entrepreneurs in New York City at the time he bought 64 companies in 31 countries for almost 1 billion dollars so in that sense he is a pioneer the fact that we were able to close a gargantuan deal given its international character was just a it was it was absolutely off the charts there is no doubt that reginal Lewis's success paved the way for me and many others and I think that really is the test and demonstration of real leadership keep going to build a better society in America to be a compassionate America that you keep going no matter what thank you very much ladies pioneers Reginald F Lewis and the making of a billion-dollar Empire

Channel: THIRTEEN

Views: 30,064

Keywords: nyc, pbs, thirteen, wnet, new york city, new york, public television, public broadcasting service, wliw, wliw21, channel 13, Reginald F. Lewis, Reginald Lewis

Id: aepunKW78VY

Length: 2min 43sec (163 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 01 2018