Sylvia Rhone is an American music industry executive who has an estimated net worth of $20 million. She earned her net worth as the President of Universal Motown Records, and has been responsible for several artists including Lil Wayne, and Cash Money Records artists Nicki Minaj, Drake, Kid Cudi, Nelly, Melanie Fiona, Akon, Erykah Badu and Stevie Wonder.

Born Sylvia M. Rhone on March 11, 1952 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was raised in Harlem, New York. She had an early exposure to seminal R&B shows at the Apollo Theatre. She claimed that this led to a turning point in her belief in music as an inspirational force. She is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. She first landed a job at Bankers Trust in New York City after graduation.

Pursuing her passion for music led Rhone has to take a job as a secretary for Buddha Records in 1974. For the next six years, she was promoted and held various positions at ABC Records and Ariola Records. Previously, she was a part of the Elektra family in 1980 as northeast regional promotion manager for special markets. She was later promoted to director of national black music marketing for Atlanta Records.

In 1994, Sylvia Rhone was hired to become the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Elektra Entertainment Group by Warner Music Group chairman Doug Morris. She was the first woman to be given the position (dual title) in the recording industry. She was the guide in the merging of Elektra, EastWest (where she was a CEO), and Sire Records into one of Warner’s most diverse and competitive labels. She was directly involved with several best-selling artists such as Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Tracy Chapman, Yolanda Adams, Metallica, Natalie Merchant, Gerald Levert, ODB, Fabolous, Jason Mraz, and Third Eye Blind, to name a few.

Rhone was appointed president of Motown Records and executive vice president of Universal Records. In February 2006, the Universal Music Group was split into two labels, Universal Republic Records and Universal Motown Records, where she served as the president until 2011. In February 2012, it was confirmed that she launched her own record label through Epic Records.