Berner Becomes First Cannabis CEO to Grace Cover of Forbes

Berner  COOKIES CEO
Berner / Instagram

*Rapper and Cookies cannabis co-founder Gilbert Anthony Milam Jr., better known by his stage name Berner, has made history as the first cannabis CEO to grace the cover of Forbes magazine.

“Wow, not only is this extremely humbling, but this is the definition of life goal shit!” he wrote in the caption of a post shared on Instagram. “It’s every entrepreneur’s dream to make the cover of @forbes Magazine but the reality is many founders and CEO’s of the largest companies in the world will never get a chance to achieve that goal.”

He added: “To be selected as one of the faces for federal legalization in our country is a huge compliment to my work.”

Berner spoke about his half-a-billion-dollar Cookies in a 2020 interview with the publication, noting that “19 years of non-stop dedication, and understanding the business from the consumer, to the cultivator, to the lack of brands in the space,” was the key to his success. At the time, Berner said his flagship stores were bringing in $100,000 and $200,000 a day, and his Melrose location reached $450,000 in a single day, per Forbes. 

READ MORE: High-Potency Cannabis Linked to Psychosis and Addiction | Video

 

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A post shared by Berner (@berner415)

In his IG post, the Bay Area native recalled a previous milestone, when “adage named cookies one of the hottest brands,” in 2021.

“That was the 1st time a cannabis company was featured in the advertising industry’s top tier publication. Today I’m officially the 1st cannabis executive to be featured on the iconic @forbes magazine cover since the company’s launch in 1917! I live for stuff like this.”

As reported by Hip Hop DX, in 2021, Berner revealed his cancer diagnosis cancer but went into remission in March following aggressive treatment. 

“I look forward to continue kicking down doors, pushing the cannabis industry forward and representing minorities in the space,” he wrote. “I can’t tell you how good this feels after recently beating cancer.

“I want to thank my whole team at cookies and @forbes for shedding light on my story ! Roll one for your boy ! Physical copy’s hit stands on 8/16 ! Hit the link in my BIO for the full article….. life’s a trip man, I’m truly blessed.”

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