Wally Famous Amos Net Worth 2024
$20,000
Wally Famous Amos Net Worth 2024 was an American entrepreneur, author, and television personality known for building the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie business into an enormous success. As of 2024, Wally Famous Amos net worth is $20 thousand. Born Wallace Amos Jr, he joined the Air Force, where he learned how to bake cookies from his aunt.
| Net Worth | $20 Thousand |
| Birthdate | Jul 1, 1936 – Aug 13, 2024 |
| Age | 88 Years |
| Birthplace | Tallahassee |
| Gender | Male |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, Writer, Businessperson, Actor |
| Nationality | United States of America |
Early Life
Wally Famous Amos was an esteemed business leader known for using his aunt’s recipe and self-confidence to launch an award-winning cookie empire that rivaled Chips Ahoy! Additionally, he published multiple books and served as a sought-after motivational speaker, ultimately passing away at age 88 in Honolulu, Florida.
Born in Tallahassee, Amos relocated with his mother and grandmother to New York City in 1951, where he attended Food Trades Vocational High School to learn cooking skills. However, school was not his passion, so he dropped out to join the Air Force, where he served for four years before returning to New York as a clerk in Saks Fifth Avenue’s stockroom clerk before becoming William Morris Agency’s first Black talent agent, booking many popular musical artists such as Marvin Gaye and Simon & Garfunkel among many others.
By the 1980s, Amos was earning $12 million annually from Famous Amos cookies made using his aunt’s recipe and sold through pre-packaged boxes at grocery chains. Working closely with grocery chains allowed him to expand his brand, but after peak sales in 1994, his success started waning, and he sold off equity stakes of the company; ultimately, Kellogg purchased them for $1.3 billion with Amos remaining as spokesperson and appearing on Shark Tank pitching his cookie business venture in 2014. Amos later founded Uncle Wally’s Muffin Company as well as opening Uncle Wally’s Muffin Company while owning an additional bakery in Hawaii
Famous Amos Company
Wally Amos was an American TV personality, entrepreneur, and author who brought joy and laughter to many with his famous cookie recipe. Though his life ended prematurely due to an unfortunate turn of events, it was full of success, with several legacy projects left in its wake.
Amos began his career at William Morris Agency as a talent agent and signed artists such as Simon and Garfunkel to be represented. Over time he was promoted until becoming its first African American talent agent as well as head of its rock & roll department.
In 1975, Amos launched his cookie brand with assistance from Hollywood friends like Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy (of “I Am Woman” fame). Sales quickly skyrocketed to $12 million by 1982, but financial challenges caused Amos to sell off most of his shares and retain only part of what was left.
After his sale, Amos continued as a motivational speaker and author, publishing several books detailing his experience. At age 80, he attempted to launch his new cookie venture on Shark Tank. Still, he failed miserably, subsequently pivoting to muffins via Uncle Wally’s Muffin Company with its own bakery opening up in Hawaii as well as publishing two audiobooks discussing spiritual and inspirational messages before passing away in 2024 at age 88.
Books
Wally Famous Amos founded an immensely profitable cookie business that generated billions of revenue, published numerous books, and gave motivational speeches around the country. He passed away in August 2024, leaving behind an enduring legacy.
Born and raised in Tallahassee’s Smokey Hollow neighborhood, this Florida native dropped out of high school to enlist in the Air Force, where he earned his GED and later relocated to New York, where he worked at William Morris Agency as a talent agent, beginning as mailroom trainee but quickly rising through ranks to become their first Black talent agent and signing acts like Simon & Garfunkel and Motown artists like Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Sam Cooke as clients.
Wally Famous Amos founded his namesake company in 1975, which was an immediate success – by 1982, it was grossing $12 million annually. However, overexpansion and mismanagement caused sales to decline substantially, and Wally lost control over it all, selling off most shares to investors for less than their original investment amount.
Wally continued his life after selling off Famous Amos by writing books and speaking at corporate events and schools. He founded Uncle Wally’s Muffin Company – which still sells fat-free muffins nationwide – while appearing on Shark Tank 2014 to pitch his cookie business which never took off. Additionally, Wally co-founded Literacy Volunteers of America, which supports literacy literacy projects throughout America.
Television Appearances
Wally Famous Amos was born in Tallahassee, Florida and moved with his aunt after his parents’ divorce to New York City. Although he initially dropped out of high school to join the Air Force instead, eventually receiving his GED and working at William Morris as a talent agent with clients like Simon & Garfunkel and The Temptations as his clients.
In 1975, Amos opened his first Famous Amos store on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles and sold his aunt’s chocolate chip cookie recipe at it. Overexpansion and poor business management led to financial hardships; Amos eventually decided to sell off all remaining shares in his company.
Amos also became a beloved media figure, appearing on shows such as Taxi and The Jerry Springer Show as himself. Additionally, he published several self-help books with themes of self-improvement while participating in literacy programs, even hosting his TV show called “Learn to Read” for Kentucky Educational Television and WXYZ-TV, in which adult students learned how to read with his help.
After leaving Famous Amos, Amos launched two more companies – Uncle Wally’s and The Cookie Kahuna – which did not fare as well, ultimately filing bankruptcy due to losses of over $2.5 million by 1988.
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