10 Motivating Quotes From Boxing Legend George Foreman, Who Was Paid More Than $100 Million to Endorse His Grills The two-time world champion and entrepreneur was as good with his words as he was with his fists.
By David James
Boxing great George Foreman died on Friday at the age of 76. His family did not immediately reveal the cause of death.
Foreman's abilities in the ring had an outsized impact on the sport. He had 81 fights and recorded 76 wins. His achievements include an Olympic gold medal and becoming the heavyweight champion of the world twice — once at age 45, making him the oldest fighter to win the title. He is also enshrined in boxing history as one half of the historic "Rumble in the Jungle" fight where he went toe-to-toe with Muhammad Ali (and lost).
Related: The World Reacts on Social Media to Muhammad Ali's Death
After retiring from the sport, Foreman worked as a minister, a broadcaster, and most notably, the spokesperson and namesake of the George Foreman Grill kitchen gadget.
The iconic grills, which are still sold today, are electric and portable and can be used indoors. In his early deal, Foreman was reportedly making a 40% profit off sales, per Bloomberg, about $4.5 million monthly. Then in 1999, grill maker Salton Inc., paid $137.5 million to use Foreman's name The New York Times reports.
Over the years, Foreman's persona has ranged from villain to lovable dad. Here are some of his most memorable quotes.
On the power of personal appearances
"That's bigger than anything, any endorsement, I don't care who you are. They want to touch you; they want to know you. Then they buy you," he told The New York Times.
On needing money
"You know that story about how you have four pockets in your pants, and you better save what's in one pocket so you can live? I saved one pocket. I've got money for steak and potatoes. But the other three pockets I just blew," he told The New York Times.
On becoming the world's oldest champion
"Anything you desire, you can make happen. It's like the song, 'When you wish upon a star your dreams come true.' Well, look at me tonight," he told The New York Times.
On setting and achieving goals
"To be successful in life, you must get in the habit of turning negatives into positives," he wrote in his book Knockout Entrepreneur.
On risk-taking
"The world is full of people who want to play it safe, people who have tremendous potential but never use it. Somewhere deep inside them, they know that they could do more in life, be more, and have more -- if only they were willing to take a few risks," he wrote in his book Knockout Entrepreneur.
On controlling your life
"Changing your nature is the hardest thing to do. But I discovered that you can be who you choose to be," he wrote in his book Knockout Entrepreneur.
On second acts
"In America, we all love the second-chance story. You go down, and you get back up. Boy, what a story that's always been," he wrote in his book Knockout Entrepreneur."
On failure
"Many people fail not so much because of their mistakes; they fail because they are afraid to try," he wrote in his book Knockout Entrepreneur.
On running a business
"To succeed in business, you need somebody in your corner who cares enough to challenge you and is courageous enough to tell you the truth, especially when the pressure is on," he wrote in his book Knockout Entrepreneur.
On entrepreneurship
"As an entrepreneur, don't follow the crowd; let them follow you," he wrote in his book Knockout Entrepreneur.
