George Foreman. Photo:
Rune Hellestad/Corbis via Getty
George Foreman is being remembered by the sports and culinary worlds following the death of the legendary professional boxer and entrepreneur on Friday, March 21. He was 76 years old.
Foreman’s death was announced on his official Instagram account, with a photo of the champ smiling and surrounded by loved ones. “Our hearts are broken. With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr. who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025 surrounded by loved ones,” the post said.
The heartfelt tribute continued, “ A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose.”
George Foreman walking to his corner after knocking out Scott LeDoux. The Ring Magazine via Getty
The post went on to call Foreman “a humanitarian, an Olympian, and two time heavyweight champion of the world” and “a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name — for his family.”
He is survived by his wife Mary Joan Martelly (married since 1985) and 11 children.
Following his iconic boxing career, the “Rumble in the Jungle” fighter pivoted his career to entrepreneurship.
In 1994, Foreman launched the George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine, better known as the George Foreman Grill, a convenient countertop grill with non-stick coating and grooved contact areas to reduce heat and allow perfectly cooked foods to slide right off. The appliance was considered revolutionary for the time, as the angled device allowed greasy, liquid fat to slide into a removable drip tray, giving users a visual of all the grease and oils that would have gone into their bodies.
George Foreman Next Grilleration 4-Burger Grill with Removable Plates. Salton
The grill was not only a beloved kitchen appliance, but Foreman’s charismatic personality made him the perfect spokesperson, adding to the device’s overall success.
In a 2013 interview with In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Foreman explains how he became the face of the grill of the ‘90s. “No one wanted to be bothered with it at all,” he said, noting how he and his team were on a mission to find a product that would make Foreman more money (rather than him being a spokesperson for other companies’ equipment).
“They had names for it, jokes for it […] I didn’t want to use it, but my wife insisted. She said, ‘It works, George,’” he recounted at the time. “The grease really rolled off, and [the meat] is still tender. I ate it, and I said, ‘Boy, let’s do it!’”
From then, Foreman entered a joint venture with the grill’s creator, Michael Boehm, and funded the joint venture with his own money to make it a reality.
“Nobody put up any money for me to do it,” he said. Foreman took 16 of the grills and gave them to family members and friends, and even placed a few at his training camps. Immediately the word spread and the grill was in homes across the country.
George Foreman fighting George Cooney. John Iacono/Sports Illustrated via Getty
Foreman said he had no idea that they would become so popular and was shocked by how well they took off. “I got a check once, $1,500, and I said, ‘What?’ Couldn’t believe it,” he recalled. “Then I get another check for $15,000, and then all of a sudden, the checks just start rolling in.”
According to a 2004 report by Bloomberg, Foreman made about $240 million from endorsing the product, on top of the $127.5 million and $10 million in stock he earned from selling “the rights to use his name and selling skills in perpetuity,” as the publication notes.
Foreman went on to confirm that, at the height of his success, he was receiving an unbelievable $5 million a month in payout checks while receiving only $1 million for his later boxing matches. “People asked me to compare the money I made from the grill and the money I made in boxing, and you really can’t because they’re tied into one,” Foreman told Bensinger. “Without boxing, I never could have had anything. Nothing. I’m real thankful for being an athlete and having the chance to compete in sports because, without that, I never would of done anything.”
George Foreman Evolve. George Foreman
To this day, Foreman and his iconic grill have become a staple in the pop culture zeitgeist. During an interview with PEOPLE, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of The Office, Kate Flannery (who played Meredith Palmer) recalled one of her favorite episodes being “when Michael Scott burns his foot on the George Foreman Grill,” leading to a much-expected injury.
Scottie Pippen, Robert Griffin III, Loni Love, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and others shared heartwarming tributes and recollected memories on social media in honor of the champ’s legacy.
