Madam C. J. Walker: Founder of the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company
Business Owner · Beauty & Cosmetics
Madam C. J. Walker, orphaned at seven and born to formerly enslaved parents, built a hair care and cosmetics company for Black women and became recognized as America's first self-made woman millionaire.
About Madam C. J. Walker: Founder of the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company
Madam C. J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove on December 23, 1867, near Delta, Louisiana; died May 25, 1919) was an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and political and social activist. Guinness World Records lists her as the first woman to become a self-made millionaire in America, though other sources note that others, like Mary Ellen Pleasant, may have been first but are less well documented. She made her fortune developing and marketing a line of cosmetics and hair care products for Black women through the Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, which she founded, and at her death was considered the wealthiest African-American businesswoman and the wealthiest self-made Black woman in America. Walker was born to Owen and Minerva Breedlove, the first child in her family born into freedom; her parents and older siblings had been enslaved by Robert W. Burney on his Madison Parish plantation. Her mother died in 1872, likely from cholera, and her father remarried but died a year later, orphaning her at seven. She made financial donations to numerous organizations, including the NAACP, and became a patron of the arts. Her lavish estate in Irvington, New York, Villa Lewaro, served as a social gathering place for the African-American community. Sources: English Wikipedia (Madam C. J. Walker, accessed September 2026).
Basic Information
Founder, Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company (1867-1919)
Company Details
Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company
Hair Care, Cosmetics, Direct Sales
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