George Foreman is best known today as the famous face behind the George Foreman Grill. His smiling face and endorsement have made the George Foreman Grill one of the most popular small cooking appliances in modern history. However, most people don’t know the fascinating story behind how George Foreman first came to start selling grills.
George Foreman is of course also known for his incredible boxing career. He was an Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Heavyweight Champion. However, after retiring from boxing, George found himself in dire financial straits. He made some poor investment decisions and owed millions to the IRS in back taxes. He was desperate to find a way to earn money. At this low point, an unlikely opportunity with an innovative grill product came along that would change George’s life.
George Foreman’s Early Life and Boxing Career
George Foreman grew up in poverty in Houston, Texas. He dropped out of school in the 9th grade and by the age of 16, he began training as an amateur boxer. In less than three years, big George rocketed through the ranks and won a gold medal in heavyweight boxing at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
Turning professional after the Olympics, Foreman quickly began climbing the ranks of the heavyweight division. He won his first 24 professional fights by knockout, most in just the first or second round. At age 24, George knocked out heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in 1973 to claim the world title. In 1974, in one of the most anticipated fights in boxing history, Foreman defended his championship against undefeated Muhammad Ali in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” match in Zaire, Africa. In this historic fight, Foreman suffered his first professional loss when Ali knocked him out in the 8th round.
After the loss to Ali, Foreman took some time off from boxing. He made a brief return to the ring in 1976, but he retired for good in 1977 with a record of 45 wins and 2 losses. He seemed to have walked away from boxing for good.
George Foreman’s Financial Troubles After Boxing
Although George earned millions of dollars as a champion boxer, he found himself in terrible financial shape not long after retirement. During his career, Foreman had acquired a financially draining mansion, multiple expensive cars, pets, and even a fleet of expensive boats.
Much worse, after stepping down from boxing, Foreman put virtually all of his remaining capital into high-risk business ventures that went bad. He invested several million dollars into the struggling Doc Broadus’s Sad Night Lonely Heart’s Club in Houston which closed down shortly thereafter. He also invested in an aquaculture business to farm exotic fish that failed within a year.
By the early 1980s, Foreman had squandered away his boxing fortune and owed millions in back taxes to the IRS. He was on the verge of total bankruptcy.
At his lowest point, deep in debt, George took a job as a sales person at a small business selling home cleaning products over the phone. He even moved his wife and kids into an apartment that rented for just $475 a month to save money. It seemed that George’s brilliant career was ending sadly.
The Original George Foreman Grill
In 1994, an inventor named Michael Boehm approached George Foreman with a novel new indoor electric grilling machine he had created. Boehm recognized that George’s famous name and charismatic personality would be perfect to promote this innovative new take on cooking burgers and grilled meats indoors. Although initially skeptical, after trying a burger made on a prototype grill, George recognized its great taste and potential mass appeal. He agreed to put his name on the product and endorse it in a mass-market campaign.
The timing was perfect for both Foreman and the clever grill product. In the 1990s, public awareness of the unhealthy nature of fried and fatty foods was growing. People wanted to reduce the fat in their diet by grilling meat instead of frying it. However, grilling outdoors wasn’t always practical or safe in an urban setting. Here was a way to get the great flavor of the grill conveniently in a countertop appliance.
The George Foreman Grill was introduced in 1994 and was an instant and phenomenal success. Within a year, over a million units had been sold, the fastest growing new kitchen appliance on the market. George received 40% of the profits from the grill sales. Very quickly, the payments from the grillmaker Salton Inc. were earning George an enormous income, dwarfing what he had made even at the height of his boxing career. In fact, within just two years, the grill earned George an estimated $200 million and made him a pop icon all over again.
Why the George Foreman Grill Was So Successful
There were several important factors that contributed to the incredible success of the George Foreman Grill:
Convenience
The George Foreman Grill was one of the first indoor electric grills that could provide the great taste of outdoor grilling conveniently in the kitchen. The sloped grill plates drained away fat into a removable drip pan. No more struggling with charcoal or worrying about the weather. Now you could make juicy hamburgers, steaks, chicken or veggies with grill lines anytime.
Healthier Cooking
By draining away fat into a removable drip tray, the Foreman Grill could cook meat with significantly less fat than either frying pans or outdoor grills. This appealed greatly to an increasingly health-conscious public avoiding fatty foods in the 1990s.
Inexpensive and Versatile
Priced at just $99 initially, the Foreman Grill was very affordable for any family. And its simple design could accommodate a wide range of foods from breakfast, to burgers for lunch or dinner.
Effective Advertising
Early TV commercials starring George touting the grill’s benefits to families were warm and funny. They helped George seem like a friendly father figure to millions of people, NOT just a boxing hero. His sincere charm and appeal were a major key to the brand’s success.
Non-Stop Promotion
For over 15 years, George Foreman tirelessly promoted the grill on TV commercials and talk shows. George claims he would interrupt complete strangers cooking on it to say “You’re using my grill!” His infectious enthusiasm for the product was a priceless marketing asset.
| Year | George Foreman Grill Units Sold |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 1 million |
| 1995 | 3.5 million |
| 1996 | 7 million |
George Foreman’s Remarkable Second Career as Grill Spokesman
While George Foreman’s boxing career spanned less than 10 years, his second act pitching grills has lasted over 20 years and counting. Selling over 100 million George Foreman Grills has made him one of the most successful product pitch-men ever. Although he didn’t invent the grill, by putting his name and face on it, Big George created an empire that has earned him an estimated net worth of over $300 million according to Forbes.
Foreman has evolved from a surly and intimidating heavyweight into one of the most well-liked and charismatic sports celebrity spokesmen of all time. While the $4.5 million he earned for the Rumble in the Jungle fight was quickly squandered away, the long-term royalties from the grill continue to pay him many millions every year even now in retirement.
Foreman has parlayed his second famous career into lucrative endorsements for Doritos, Meineke, KFC and many other brands. He even sells his own line of food products like George Foreman’s Butcher Shop Burgers. At an age well over 70 when most athletes fade into obscurity, George remains a highly bankable celebrity to this day. His improbable fame as a grillmaster keeps him in the spotlight and cements his place as a pop culture icon.
More Innovations from George Foreman Grills
The phenomenal success of the original indoor George Foreman Grill spawned a tidal wave of variations that made the Foreman Grill one of the most famous small appliance brands ever:
- Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine – sold over 20 million units by 1999 and featured improved sloped grill plates and fat drip pan
- Next Grilleration models – faster preheating and optional removable grill plates introduced
- George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Grill – larger design allows you to take it outside for patio parties
- George Foreman 4 in 1 Grill – Removable plates convert this into a Panini press, full grill, or griddle
- George Foreman Grill and Broil models – deeper grilling surface to handle more food
While George Foreman’s fame eventually faded, the George Foreman Grill has become one of the most ubiquitous small kitchen appliances. Over 45 million have been sold worldwide since it first burst on the scene in 1994.
Conclusion
When his boxing career ended, George Foreman never could have guessed that his second act as a grill spokesman would make him wildly famous all over again. By taking a risk on a novel new indoor grilling appliance, George forged a lucrative grill empire that made him a beloved pop icon and earned him a new multi-million dollar fortune. While the original grill manufacturer Salton has changed over the years, the George Foreman Grill remains an all-time top selling kitchen appliance 25 years later. All because hungry families around the world got hooked on that irresistible taste and convenience. Thank you George!