Suzanne de Passe was born on the 19th July 1946, in Harlem, New York City, USA, and is an entrepreneur, and a film, television, and music producer, best known for discovering the Jackson Five music act. Her career began in 1967, when her talent for business caught the eye of the owner of the Cheetah Disco music club.
Have you ever wondered how rich Suzanne de Passe is, as of early 2017? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that de Passe’s net worth is as high as $40 million, an amount earned through her successful career in business and producing.
Suzanne de Passe Net Worth $40 Million
Suzanne de Passe was the only daughter of West Indian immigrant parents; her mother worked as a schoolteacher, while her father was an executive. Raised in a comfortable middle class environment, Suanne was allowed to pursue her interests, which revolved around fine arts from an early age. She attended ballet classes, and enrolled at Syracuse University in order to study writing. However, dissatisfied with the program and options at the university, she returned to New York, where she attended Manhattan Community College. During this period, she started to spend her time at the famous disco club, Cheetah Disco, where the owner took notice of her good ear for music and comments about the live sets.
Soon, Suzanne was working at the club in the capacity of talent coordinator. Afterwards, she worked briefly for a talent agency, before being invited to join Motown Records by its founder, Berry Gordy, who acted as her mentor, and she honed her business skills under his tutelage. Her big break, both for herself and the company, was when she discovered a music act comprised of five brothers, called the Jackson 5. Not only did she discover them, but she also supervised almost every aspect of their career, guiding them on the path of international success. Besides the Jackson 5, Suzanne also had a hand in other music acts, such as The Commodores, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Lionel Richie, and Thelma Houston. Her net worth benefited from these acts as well.
In the early 1970s, she branched out in her interests, co-writing a screenplay which detailed the life of Billie Holliday, called “Lady Sings the Blues” (1972), which starred Diana Ross, earning an Academy Award nomination for the script. She also advanced at Motown, first becoming the vice president of Motown’s West Coast division, and then the vice president of the entire Motown Industries.
Since 1981, when she was named the president of Motown, she has dedicated herself more to writing and producing films for the label. She earned two Emmy Awards, in 1983 for “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever”, and in 1985 for “Motown Returns to the Apollo”.
Proving that she can do anything she sets her mind to, Suzanne produced a Western mini-series in 1985, based on the Larry McMurtry’s novel, “Lonesome Dove”, which was an overnight success, and won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Miniseries and Best Actor in a Miniseries.
After her many success at Motown, she decided to found her own production company, starting De Passe Entertainment in 1992. The company produced the sitcoms “Sister, Sister” (1995-1999), and “Smart Guy” (1996-1999), among others. For her extraordinary contribution to show business and female entrepreneurship, de Passe has been honored with multiple awards, including Women in Film Crystal Award (1988), Revlon Business Woman of the Year Award (1994), and Madame C.J. Walker Award (2004).
Regarding her personal life, Suzanne has been married to Paul De Mat since 1978, with whom she has three children.
