You’ve heard the name in a hundred rap songs. You’ve seen the armored trucks dropping off cash in the movies. But when it comes down to the actual paperwork, the question of who owns Magic City Atlanta is a mix of old-school grit and family legacy that most people get slightly wrong.
Honestly, it isn't some faceless corporate conglomerate or a group of silent equity partners hiding in a boardroom in New York. It's a family affair. At the center of it all is Michael "Mr. Magic" Barney, the man who turned a tiny, dusty bar into a global cultural landmark.
The Man, The Myth, The "Mr. Magic"
Michael Barney didn't start out as a nightlife mogul. Far from it. In 1978, he was a history major graduating from Duke University. He moved to Atlanta and took a job selling toner cartridges over the phone. He was so good at it—basically a wizard on the phone—that his coworkers started calling him "Magic."
The name stuck.
In 1985, Barney took about $25,000 and a massive amount of nerve to open Magic City at 241 Forsyth Street. Back then, the spot was a hole-in-the-wall called the Jolly Fox Lounge. Most strip clubs in the 80s were shadowy, grimy places where you felt like you needed a tetanus shot just for walking in. Barney changed the vibe. He wanted a place that felt like a "Black Studio 54," where the music was just as important as the dancers.
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Is It Still a Family Business?
There was a lot of chatter a few years back, around 2018, that the club had been sold to an "unnamed buyer" for somewhere between $8 million and $10 million. In this industry, rumors fly fast. People thought maybe a big hospitality group had stepped in to sanitize the place.
But if you look at the actual operations today, the Barney name is still the only one that matters. While Michael Barney Sr. has taken a step back from the day-to-day grind of running a 24-hour entertainment empire, his family remains at the helm.
Juju Barney, Michael’s son, has become the public face of the brand.
He’s the one you see in the documentaries and the one connecting with the new generation of artists. When the owners of the Atlanta Hawks moved to town, it was the Barneys who welcomed them. That's the level of "unofficial royalty" we're talking about here.
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Why the Ownership Matters to Atlanta
Magic City isn't just a club; it’s an incubator.
If a song "bangs" at Magic City on a Monday night, it’s going to be on the radio by Friday. That power is held by the DJs and the owners who curate the atmosphere. Because the Barney family has kept control, they've maintained the club’s status as a "kingmaker" in the hip-hop world.
Think about it. Future, Drake, Migos, 2 Chainz—they don't just go there to spend money. They go there to work. It’s a business hub.
The Complex Reality of Ownership
Running a place like this isn't all neon lights and celebrity cameos. It's tough. Michael Barney has navigated:
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- Legal battles over labor practices and "kickback" allegations from former dancers.
- The violent era of the 90s and early 2000s when the Black Mafia Family (BMF) made the club their unofficial headquarters.
- Socio-political shifts, like when Stacey Abrams used the venue for a "get out the vote" event in 2020.
It’s a complicated legacy. Barney has been open about the times he almost lost it all—like when he went to jail and returned to find the club literally on the auction block. But he bought it back. He fought for it. That’s why the ownership remains such a point of pride in the local Black business community.
What You Need to Know Now
If you’re looking for the name on the deed, it’s Michael Barney. If you’re looking for the person running the show in 2026, look for Juju Barney.
They’ve recently leaned into their history with a massive five-part docuseries on Starz called Magic City: An American Fantasy. It’s probably the most honest look at the "hustle and heart" required to keep a business like this alive for forty years without selling out to a corporate entity.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
- Respect the Business Model: If you're an entrepreneur, look at how Barney leveraged a "service" (nightlife) into a "platform" (music industry kingmaker). That's the real secret sauce.
- Watch the Documentary: To see the Barney family explain the ownership in their own words, check out the Starz series executive produced by Jermaine Dupri and Jami Gertz.
- Visit for the Culture (and Wings): If you actually go, remember it’s a professional environment. People are there to network and break records. And yes, the Louwill Lemon Pepper wings are actually as good as the hype says.
The ownership of Magic City represents more than just a liquor license. It’s a rare example of a Black-owned Atlanta institution that survived urban renewal, the crack era, the rise of the internet, and a global pandemic—all while staying in the same family.