Wally Amos Was Once Called the King of Cookies — Was His Net Worth Just as Sweet?

If you're wondering if you've ever had a Famous Amos cookie, the answer is probably yes. The words "Famous Amous" are written in a classic blue cursive font that you can spot from any place in the cookies aisle of your grocery store. What kind could you buy? The only kind that matters: chocolate chip.

The business was started by the late Wally Amos, who passed away in August 2024. Although he was no longer the proprietor of the company that still bore his name and likeness, he was a confectioner up until his last day. Was Wally Amos's net worth as sweet as his treats? Let's take a look.

Celebrity Net Worth reports that Wally Amos was sitting on $20,000 at the time of his death. And while that's hard to believe, it's sadly the truth. This man had a prolific career filled with the kinds of ups and downs that would shatter most people. In fact, he would be the first to admit that he made a lot of mistakes. At the end of the day, what made Wally Amos so famous was his ability to just keep trying.

Before he was a cookie mogul, Wally got his start in the mailroom of the William Morris Agency in New York City. He eventually worked his way up to become the first Black talent agent, and went on to sign Simon & Garfunkel. He also worked with Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, and Sam Cooke, per History.com.

Speaking of cooking, he started baking cookies from a recipe that belonged to his Aunt Della. Wally was stressed after missing out on a job opportunity in Los Angeles, so he turned to food in order to relax. "Cookies were a hobby to relieve stress," said his son Shawn in his book Cookies & Milk. Wally started bringing these cookies to meetings with him and it didn't take long for some smart person to suggest he do something with them.

Cut to 1975 and the launch of Famous Amos Cookies thanks to a $25,000 loan from Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, of I Am Woman fame. His success was almost immediate. In its first year the company made $300,000 and by 1982, were pulling in $12 million a year. Unfortunately this was a double-edged sword as Wally struggled to keep up with how quickly the company was growing. A series of bad decisions led Wally to selling a majority stake for a paltry $1.1 million.

After a couple of failed returns to the world of cookies, Wally finally turned to muffins. He launched Uncle Wally’s Muffin Co. and opened a shop in Hawai'i. At age 80, Wally pitched to Shark Tank one last time about yet another cookie venture, but that didn't pan out. In 2017 he created a GoFundMe because he was unable to pay for rent, gas, or food.

Wally Amos is a man who brought so much joy to people, both in and out of the kitchen. The end of his life feels wholly unfair, except for the fact that he appeared to have achieved at least one goal.

In July 2007 he spoke with NBC News where he said to the outlet, "I want to be known as a guy who cared about people. A guy who loved people and loved life." He certainly did that.