Ron Popeil Cause of Death Tragic: Iconic Infomercial King Suffered From Severe Medical Emergency, Was 86
Ron Popeil, dubbed as the "Infomercial King" and inventor of famous American kitchen gadgets, has died at 86.
According to TMZ, his family revealed that the TV personality suffered from a severe medical emergency on Tuesday; he died the following day at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The outlet did not disclose his actual cause of death, but his family mentioned that they surrounded him during his last hours.
Per IMDb, Ronald Martin Popeil, spent his early days in New York City. His life story was described as "rags to riches" as his parents were separated; he was placed in a boarding school at three.
Five years later, he was removed by his grandparents to raise him in Florida. By 16, he moved to Chicago to work in his Father's factory and began selling kitchen products in flea markets.
He was earning over $500 per day by working and selling the products of his Father, who's also a kitchen gadget inventor.
By age 17, Popeil had already earned a hefty amount of money, leading him to move out and start a life on his own finally. He began to set up a stand in Chicago where he sells gadgets. His small store became popular where hundreds of people visit him almost every day.
Popeil was believed to be the first person to create infomercials and commercials broadcasted on television in the early '50s; his first gig was black and white and cost $500 to produce.
His first televised product was called "Ronco Chop-o-Matic," where it sold millions of dollars leading him to become a popular household name.
Popeil's popularity enables him to appear in dozens of cameos in numerous TV shows and films. He was also parodied on "Saturday Night Live."
Fans Look Back, Pay Tribute
Following the news of his death, many fans took to social media to look back on his famous inventions and share how Popeil became a part of their childhood.
"I almost bought a lot of stuff watching Ron Popeil on television. REST IN PEACE, you were a master of sells," one fan wrote along with broken heart emoji.
"While death may have be-set him... we will never forget him..." another fan wrote, referencing Popeil's famous catchphrase "set it and forget it."
