McDonald’s reached a confidential settlement with Byron Allen, 64, on June 13, 2025. The fast-food chain reached this much-talked-about settlement in a $10 billion lawsuit filed by the renowned businessman, according to a Reuters report.
The media entrepreneur accused McDonald’s of refusing to place advertisements with black-owned media companies.
McDonald’s settled with Byron Allen's two companies, named Entertainment Studios Networks and the Weather Group. With the final legal procedure, the parties averted the necessity to appear in Los Angeles federal court on July 15.

Amid the court updates, many are eager to know more about the entrepreneur. He is a billionaire with a net worth of $1 billion, Celebrity Net Worth reported on March 7, 2025.
Everything we know about Byron Allen
He began as a comedian
Considered one of the most influential media figures in the U.S., Allen's career started as a comedian. Born on April 22, 1961, in Detroit, Michigan, according to BlackPast, he started doing stand-up at age 14.
He was just 18 when he joined The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and became the youngest comedian on the iconic show. Over the next few years, he worked with Jay Leno and David Letterman and also wrote for Jimmie Walker.
Later, he joined TV and production
Byron Allen hosted NBC's Real People in the late 1970s and 1980s. This appearance marked a breakthrough in this career. From 1989 to 1992, he ran his show titled The Byron Allen Show.

Byron Allen unveiled CF Entertainment in 1993 with his mother. Later, its name was changed to Entertainment Studios. Presently, this global media production and distribution company is the world's largest independent producer. He also introduced a celebrity interview show titled Entertainers with Byron Allen.
From a young comedian to a business mogul, Allen changed his career trajectory and expanded in the entertainment sector as a producer and explored film distribution with Freestyle Releasing. His media company, Allen Media Group, has worked with several cable networks, digital networks, and TV stations in the U.S.
Recently, he made headlines for filing a $10 billion lawsuit against McDonald’s alleging racial bias in advertisements.
His overall net worth
With decades of hard work, Allen amassed a striking fortune of a billion dollars. His media company operates on an interesting revenue model.
According to the Celebrity Net Worth report, the mogul does not charge for shows. Instead, he takes the rights to sell half of each show's remaining duration for advertisements and sells these to generate his revenue.

Byron Allen's established company acquired the Black News Channel television network in July 2022. The network was on the verge of bankruptcy, and the entrepreneur took it away with a deal of $11 million.
In addition to these exemplary works, he is also a member of the Motion Picture & Television Fund Board of Governors.
A look at his family
Byron Allen married Jennifer Lucas Allen on September 1, 2007, at the Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles. According to Legit, Jennifer is a television producer and has also joined his husband's company as an executive producer.
The Allen couple is proud parents of three kids. They welcomed their eldest child, Chloe Ava Allen, on August 22, 2008, in Los Angeles, according to a People report. They experienced parenthood for the second time by welcoming Olivia Rose Allen in April 2010. Their youngest child, Lucas Byron Allen, was born on December 11, 2012.
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