Wally Amos’ Net Worth in 2024 – Bio, Age, Career, Spouse
Full Name | Wallace “Wally” Amos, Jr. |
Famous Name | Wally Amos |
Birth Place | Tallahassee, Florida, United States |
Birthday | 1 July 1936 |
Age | 87 years (as of 2024) |
Occupation | Entrepreneur, Author |
Spouse | Christine Harris-Amos (m. 1979) |
Net Worth in 2024 | $20 thousand |
Info Updated | December 2024 |
Who is Wally Amos? Know Everything about Wally Amos
Wally Amos is 87 years old American entrepreneur, television personality, and author. He is well known for being the founder of a brand of cookies, Famous Amos, in 1975.
Amos is also the founder of the Cookie Kahuna and Aunt Della’s Cookies gourmet cookie brands. However, the rise and fall of Wally became the most infamous cautionary tale.
As of Jan 2024, Wally Amos‘ net worth is $20 thousand.
He began his career from being a mailroom clerk at the William Morris Agency. In 1975, he opened his cookie store in Los Angeles, which became an ultimate success.
Unfortunately, the sales declined, and the company lost money. Wally later started a new company, which got bankrupt in 1996.
Besides this, Wally is an author and has written around 11 books. In 2020, a documentary film on the life of Wally Amos got released by Content Media Group.
What is Wally Amos’ Net Worth?
Wally Amos has an estimated net worth of $20 thousand as of 2024. He accumulated all his fortune being the founder of the most common cookie brand Amos Cookies.
However, he faced financial setbacks and lost ownership of his company. Wally later made a comeback in the world of cookies under a new name, The Cookie Kahuna, in 2014.
Unfortunately, this business left him flat broke. He launched a GoFundMe in 2017 to raise $50,000 to pay rent and afford food.
Aside from this, Wally additionally earns from the royalties of his published books. He has written almost 11 books and has contributed to others too.
Books by Wally Amos
List of most popular books by author Wally Amos
- Conversations on Success
- The Power in You
- The Famous Amos Story: The Face That Launched a Thousand Chips
- Watermelon Magic: Seeds Of Wisdom, Slices Of Life
- The Path to Success Is Paved with Positive Thinking
- The Power of Self-Esteem
- Man with No Name: Turn Lemons Into Lemonade
- Mission Possible!: Volume One
- Live an Inspiring Life
- The Cookie Never Crumbles
How did Wally Amos become a millionaire and lose his fortune?
Career
After leaving the force, Wally Amos moved to New York City and joined the William Morris Agency in 1957.
He joined as a mailroom clerk and became the first African American talent agent. Wally became the head of the rock ‘n’ roll department signing Simon and Garfunkel.
He also represented Motown artists like The Supremes, Sam Cooke, Diana Ross, and Dionne Warwick.
As an Entrepreneur
Later on a friend’s suggestion, Amos decided to set up a store to sell cookies. In 1975, he opened his first Famous Amos cookie store in Los Angeles, California.
Helen Reddy and Marvin Gaye helped him with a $25,000 loan. Soon the company expanded, and Famous Amos became a cookie brand across the United States.
In its first year, the shop cleared $300k worth of cookies and made $12 million in revenue by 1982.
Loss in business
Unfortunately, Famous Amos reported a $300,000 loss on sales of $10 million in 1985 which led to the sale of a majority of Wally’s stake to Bass Brothers Enterprises for $1.1 million.
After two sales, he got kicked out of his company. In 1992, Famous Amos got purchased by President Baking Company for $61 million, which was 55 times what Wally Amos received by selling his stake.
However, Amos made a comeback launching Uncle Noname Gourmet Muffins in 1994. The business filed for bankruptcy in 1996.
Wally later opened a bake shop in Hawaii and re-launched his cookies under the name The Cookie Kahuna.
He also appeared in Shark Tank with his business idea, but the business failed. Eventually, he launched a GoFundMe to collect cash to pay for his rent and food in 2017.
As a Television Personality
Aside from this, Wally appeared on a television sitcom, Taxi, in 1981. He has also written 11 books with a self-help theme.
Moreover, Amos appeared in an adult educational television series, Learn to Read, in 1979. He is a literacy advocate and has helped adults learn to read.
In 2019, Wally received the title “the King of cookies” from KSNV-TV in Las Vegas.
In February 2020, a documentary film was released on the life of Wally Amos titled, The Great Cookie Comeback: Re-Baking Wally Amos by Content Media Group.
Wally Amos’ Age, Education, & Parents
Wally Amos was born on 1st July 1936 in Tallahassee, Florida, as Wallace Amos Jr. According to his date of birth, Wally Amos, is 87 years old.
He was born in the family of Ruby and Wallace Amos.
At 12, Wally witnessed his parent’s separation and moved to New York City with his aunt. His interest in cooking landed him enrolling at the Food Trades Vocational High School.
At this time, he learned the cookie recipe from his aunt Della Bryant, which he later improved to create his chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Amos dropped out of high school and joined the United States Air Force in Honolulu, Hawaii, from 1954 to 1957.
In 1957, he moved to New York City to join William Morris Agency. He started working from the mailroom and became the first black talent agent.
Education
Wally Amos attended the Food Trades Vocational High School. He later earned his G.E.D. while serving in the air force.
In 1954, Amos joined the American international air force in Honolulu. He left the air force in 1957 to pursue his dream of becoming a chef.
Wally Amos’ Wife & Kids
Who is Wally Amos’ married to?
Wally Amos got married to Christine Amos in July 1979.
How many kids does Wally Amos have?
The couple has four children named; Michael, Sarah, Gregory, and Shawn Amos.
Shawn Amos is well-known as a blues singer and harmonica player.
Wally’s wife played an important role in designing the early packaging for Famous Amos.
Where does Wally Amos live?
From 1977 to 2018, Amos’s family lived in Hawaii. In 2018, they relocated to Columbia, South Carolina.
Wally Amos‘ Social Media Profiles
He is active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
He has more than 575 followers on his Twitter profile (@wallyamos), over 2757 followers on his Instagram account (@theoriginalcookiekahuna), and more than 5k followers on Facebook as of 1 December 2024.
Summary
Wally Amos is a Florida-based entrepreneur and television personality. He got famous for his cookie brand Famous Amos in the 1980s.
In his early years, Amos was interested in cooking and baking. He learned the cookie recipe from his aunt and later improved it to make it marketable.
Wally began his career as a talent agent at the William Morris Agency but pursued his dream of cooking by opening a cookie store in Los Angeles in 1975.
His cookie brand became a success across the United States but soon failed due to financial problems.
Presently, Amos is running a bake shop in Hawaii. He has also written several books.
As of 2024, Wally Amos has a net worth of $20 Thousand.
Quick Recap
87 years old Wallace “Wally” Amos, Jr. (born 1 July 1936) famous as Wally Amos is an American entrepreneur, Chef & author.
Wally Amos’ net worth in 2024 is estimated at $20k.
Wally Amos was born on, 1 July 1936, and as of 2024, Wally Amos is 87 years old.
He has been married to Christine (Harris) Amos since July 1, 1979. They have four children.