Overview:

Black athletes and musicians are building billion-dollar brands, but they often see only a fraction of the long-term wealth generated by their talent. Investors Brandon Comer and Jennifer Horton argue that the key to turning influence into equity and generational power lies in owning the entire entertainment district surrounding the action, not just the sexiest assets like team stakes. They advise athletes to think like institutions, choose equity over cash, and invest in diversified assets with higher return potential. Horton also advises artists to measure conversion, own their data, diversify income, and build community before staging.

Black athletes and musicians are building billion-dollar brands, but too often, someone else owns the scoreboard.

Black talent fuels an entertainment economy worth $1.4 trillion globally, from sold-out concerts to packed stadiums. Yet, all across the country, the people generating the revenue often see only a fraction of the long-term wealth. Endorsement checks get spent, careers end early and the businesses built on their backs are owned by someone else. 

Successful business moguls like Lebron James, Shaquille O’Neil, Magic Johnson, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg, and 50 Cent all understand what is needed to create generational wealth beyond music and sports. 

That’s the problem two insiders, investor Brandon Comer and music-finance executive Jennifer Horton, say must change if Houston’s rising stars are going to turn their influence into equity and generational power.

Comer, founder of Alterity Capital (managing roughly $3 billion and an investor in Black-owned Redemption Bank west of Houston), said the spark for this dialogue is the widening gap between who performs and who profits. His pitch is to stop aiming only at the sexiest assets, like team stakes and start buying into the entire entertainment district surrounding the action.

“Athletes who help fill venues should own pieces of the companies that power them,  concessions, merchandising, IT, hospitality and even the mixed-use developments next door. That’s the heart of Alterity’s venue opportunity fund.“

– Brandon Comer, founder of Alterity Capital

“You don’t just build a stadium anymore. It’s hotels, retail, food and beverage, tech, fan experience,” Comer said.  “Athletes who help fill venues should own pieces of the companies that power them,  concessions, merchandising, IT, hospitality and even the mixed-use developments next door. That’s the heart of Alterity’s venue opportunity fund.”

Comer shared his playbook with the Defender for athletes (and the entrepreneurs who support them) interested in long-term success beyond their careers. 

  • Think like an institution. Treat your name as a business with a long-term plan.
  • Choose equity over cash when your living expenses are covered. Leverage your brand to negotiate equity grants for appearances and promotions. “Write a check and lend your brand,” he said, to earn a bigger seat at the table.
  • Build a real team. Contract negotiators and investment advisors do not have the same job. Hire specialists, keep learning enough to ask hard questions and don’t surrender decision-making.
  • Invest for the next chapter. Careers are short; habits should be long. Live on what you need and invest the rest in a diversified mix of traditional stocks and bonds plus alternative assets such as venue and ancillary developments with higher return potential.
Jennifer Horton, founder of Matrix Equity Partners. Courtesy: Jennifer Horton

The same ownership mindset powers Horton’s career. A Houston native who has spent two decades building artists’ businesses from L.A., Horton runs Matrix Equity Partners, which provides alternative financing, “growth capital” to established artists and executives. This is not starter money for those who see entertainment as a hobby. 

“There has to be something to finance,” she said. “Proven demand, revenues and a clear path to repayment or negotiated ownership.”

Horton argues that the South and Houston, in particular, have long been ground zero for independent hustle. From Master P and Cash Money to Bun B and Scarface, the blueprint is entrepreneurship. What’s new is that entrepreneurship is no longer optional. Artists and managers are now the CEOs who build the structure.

Her advice for turning social media followers into assets includes:

  • Measure conversion. Don’t confuse likes with buyers. Use pre-orders and countdown campaigns for merch or other branded products to test real demand before fronting inventory costs.
  • Own your data. When you sell directly, you collect granular customer info that major platforms won’t share. That database is a long-term moat.
  • Diversify income. Beyond touring and streams, pursue brand deals through emerging marketplaces and negotiate for data access whenever possible.
  • Make it audiovisual. Everything needs a visual language and message, whether you’re on camera or partnering with someone who is.

Build community, then stage. Define an authentic theme (books, wellness, culture), cultivate dialogue, and deliver a compelling live show. “You’re never going to give anybody goosebumps if you can’t perform live,” she said.

This story was originally published by Laura Onyeneho on Word In Black on August 26th, 2025