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23-Year-old Millionaire Publishes New Magazine

By Kanita Danielle Mason
NNPA Special Correspondent

   WASHINGTON (NNPA)—He was a millionaire at 14, then a radio talk show host, a motivational speaker, an author of two books, a syndicated newspaper columnist and a recipient of an honorary doctorate—all accomplished by the age of 23.
    What else might this young entrepreneur dream of?
Well, this entrepreneur, Farrah Gray, has apparently just gotten started. He has accomplished yet another of his dreams, now on the stands for public enjoyment: He is now publisher and editor-in-chief of a new international entertainment and empowerment magazine called Prominent.
    For him, it’s not about achievement. Rather it’s about service.
   “We are losing our voice across the country,” Gray says of African-American people. “We’re losing our cultural identity. I think Prominent will serve as a cultural transcript.”
Among the features in the magazine, the 40 Hotlist carries the most prominent personalities, history makers and chart toppers of today.
    The slick, full color publication, currently on the stands, features the best of entertainment genres in the Black community. That includes Prominent Movies, Prominent DVDs, Prominent CD’s, Prominent Books, Prominent Heros, Prominent Eats, and of course the Prominent 40 hotlist which according to Gray is a list of individuals who have all accomplished great fetes, and are seen as trailblazers who give back to their respective communities.
    In other words, “You have to be more than just cute,” says Gray. “I think there needed to be a voice that was not only fresh, but refreshing, a voice that would not only entertain, but will also ‘edutain’, as I always say. That is to educate and inspire us.”
    According to Gray, Prominent Magazine, which appears as a younger version of Ebony, currently has a distribution of 250,000 and can be found at newsstands across the world including the United States, Canada, London and Japan.
    The premiere issue published an exclusive interview with Tyler Perry who has become a millionaire from the popularity of his stage plays turned movies; as well as an exclusive interview with billionaire Bob Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET).

Posted May 28, 2008

  
    "We actually get people to stop in their busy day and we give our readers an up close and personal look at how they achieved and created and developed the empire that they have today,” Gray says.
    The people, from many genres of entertainment, is attracting everyone from Black women to teens in general to people in their 50s and 60s, he says.
Yet, you don’t have to be a Hollywood star per se to end up in the magazine. One section called “Bound for Glory” highlights young people doing extraordinary things. Finally, Gray himself, advises readers on tips for a successful business, similar to his column, syndicated through the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service.    

   Gray says he will cultivate the magazine to ensure that Prominent becomes a household name. Meanwhile, he is always serving in the trenches, volunteering with organizations such as the National Coalition for the Homeless.
    That was the meaning of his book, “Reallionare”—being rich from the inside out.
    For Gray, there are lots more dreams. His new book, “Get Real, Get Rich”, is doing well. But, “Reallionaire”, is en route to possibly becoming a movie.
   “Being one of God’s children, I believe the sky is the limit,” he says. “My agent is currently shopping television deals with the major movie houses. I’ve gotten a couple of offers for turning the book into a movie. Those are things that people will be hearing about pretty soon.”
    It’s still in process he says. But, he’s “fairly close” to cutting a deal.
Gray, who at the age of 7, carried a business card that said, “21st Century CEO”, is a firm believer that anyone can do anything as long as they believe that it is possible. Once a child growing up poor in a Chicago public housing development, he is his own best example.
   “A lot of our people don’t think that it’s possible because a lot of times we only grow up to be what we can see,” he says.
   “I would say it’s important to remember that it’s possible.”

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