Oprah Winfrey founds Harpo Productions, taking ownership of her show

Oprah Winfrey founded Harpo Productions in 1986 and negotiated ownership of The Oprah Winfrey Show from ABC — a virtually unprecedented move for a television host. This vertical integration of her media brand made her the first Black woman to own and produce her own television show and laid the foundation for a media empire that eventually included OWN, O Magazine, and a net worth exceeding $2.5 billion.