Mathew Knowles

Mathew Knowles is a music executive and talent manager best known for managing Destiny’s Child and launching the solo careers of daughters Beyoncé and Solange Knowles. Mathew graduated from Fisk University in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He later completed an MBA and went on to work in sales and marketing before pivoting to a career in the music business.

Mathew founded Music World Entertainment in 1992 and began managing Destiny’s Child, the girl group that featured Beyoncé. He acted as a producer on many of their projects and helped the group sign a deal with Columbia Records.

Under his leadership, the group achieved international success with hit albums like The Writing’s on the Wall (1999) and Survivor (2001) despite lineup changes. (Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland were the only original members.) Mathew later managed Beyoncé as a solo artist, helping her launch her career with the release of Dangerously in Love (2003). He managed his eldest daughter until 2011.

He also worked with Solange Knowles on her early music projects and later worked with artists from country and gospel backgrounds under his label.

In 2015, he authored the book The DNA of Achievers: 10 Traits of Highly Successful Professionals, in which he shares advice for entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry. He later published Destiny’s Child: The Untold Story in 2019.

In addition to management, he has worked as a producer on film and television projects. He has also taught courses in entrepreneurship and entertainment management at universities such as London College of Creative Media.

In 1980, the entrepreneur married Tina Knowles, and they divorced in 2011. They share daughters Beyoncé (born in 1981) and Solange (born in 1986), both of whom have had successful careers in entertainment. He later married Gena Charmaine Avery in 2013. He also has two other children, Nixon (born in 2010) and Koi (born in 2010), from separate relationships.