Anthony Chan, a former chief economist at JPMorgan Chase, was responding to Kamala Harris saying that lowering prices would be her “first day in office priority,” even though she’s already in office.
The creator of the popular chocolate chip cookie “Famous Amos Cookies” died at his Hawaii home on Tuesday at age 88, according to reports.
The New York Times reported that Wallace “Wally” Amos’ children said he died from complications from dementia.
Amos began working as a talent agent to the stars and baking bite-sized cookies as a hobby on the side, but that hobby soon turned into a successful brand, and in 1975, with a $25,000 loan from Hollywood friends, including singer Marvin Gaye, he opened the Famous Amos Cookie Shop on Los Angeles’ famous Sunset Strip.
History has it that the entrepreneur moved from Tallahassee, Florida, to Harlem, New York, at age 12 to live with his aunt, from whom he learned the cookie recipe.
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Wally Amos, famous Amos cookie maker. (CBS via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The same aunt reportedly encouraged him to pursue a culinary career, and he attended a trade school in Manhattan, but then dropped out to join the Air Force.
Amos served in the Air Force and was stationed in Hawaii before returning to New York City four years later and taking a job in the mailroom at the William Morris talent agency, where he rose through the ranks to become a junior agent in 1961, the first black person to hold such a position, according to History magazine.
During his time playing the role, he made friends with Gaye and various musicians, signing musicians such as Simon & Garfunkel.
He moved to Los Angeles for work, where he started his own agency, and reportedly began baking cookies on the side to relieve stress, and would sometimes bring treats to client meetings and photo shoots.
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A box of the famous Amos Cookies. (Getty Images)
“I started baking as a hobby. It was a kind of therapy,” Amos told The Times in 1975. “I started taking cookies to meetings with record companies and movie people, and soon everyone wanted them.”
The cookies quickly became popular, and he turned his hobby into a business, opening a shop on Sunset Boulevard.
According to History magazine, in its first year the store made $300,000 in revenue, and by 1981 it had become a $12 million business, with more stores opening and packages of cookies being sold across the United States.
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Amos, known for his Panama hats and wide smile, eventually landed roles in shows like “The Office,” “Taxi” and “The Jeffersons.”
By 1988, Amos was no longer able to keep up with Famous Amos’s financial situation and sold his ownership interest and stock in the company.
Since selling his cookie brand, he has worked as a motivational speaker and author, sharing his personal story and advocating for black entrepreneurs and child literacy, the Times reported.
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He went back to baking cookies, launched several other brands, and opened a small bakery in Honolulu.
Amos is survived by his fourth wife, Carol Williams, and their four children, Sean, Sarah, Michael and Gregory.
