What Is Billy Blanks' Net Worth?
Billy Blanks is an American fitness guru, martial artist, and actor with a net worth of $20 million. He is renowned for creating the Tae Bo exercise program, which became a nationwide fitness trend. Tae Bo sold over 1.5 million VHS tapes in its first year, generating $80 million in sales. To date, Tae Bo has earned more than $150 million in total revenue.
Early Life
Billy Blanks was born William Wayne Blanks on September 1, 1955, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is the fourth of fifteen children. Blanks suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia and was born with an anomaly in his hip joints that affected his movement, making him clumsy and less skilled in athletics. Inspired by a Bruce Lee movie, Blanks decided to pursue martial arts, finding his true passion in karate.
Martial Arts Career
Initially, Blanks was hired as a security/bodyguard for Catherine Bach in the film 'Driving Force,' shot in Manila. Impressing the producers, he was written into the script, gaining a supporting role. Blanks appeared in several martial arts films, including 'King of the Kickboxers' and 'Bloodfist.' He also appeared in Tony Scott's 'The Last Boy Scout' and played Ashley Judd's kickboxing instructor in the 1997 film 'Kiss the Girls.'
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Tae Bo
Blanks further developed his Tae Bo workout while running his taekwondo studio in Quincy, Massachusetts. The name 'Tae Bo' is a combination of 'Tae' for taekwondo and 'Bo' for boxing. He later opened a fitness center in Los Angeles to bring his workout to a broader audience, attracting celebrity clients, including Paula Abdul. Tae Bo rapidly became a pop culture phenomenon, significantly impacting Blanks's net worth.
Personal Life
Blanks married Gayle H. Godfrey in his twenties after meeting her in a karate class in 1974. He adopted Godfrey's daughter, Shellie, who appears in many of Blanks's Tae Bo videos. Shellie also produced her own Tae Bo Postnatal Power videos and hosted Blanks's 'Tae Bo T3' videos. Blanks and Godfrey had a son, Billy Blanks, Jr. After 33 years of marriage, Blanks and Godfrey divorced in 2008 due to 'irreconcilable differences.' Blanks later had another daughter, Angelika, with his Japanese interpreter. In 2009, he married Tomoko Sato and adopted her daughters, Marriett and Erika Peterson.
Blanks identifies as a Christian and released a special line of workouts called the 'Believer's' series, an extension of his Tae Bo workouts that includes motivational prayers and Christian elements.
Real Estate
Blanks has also profited from real estate. In 2001, he sold his home in Hidden Hills, CA, for $7.3 million. Billy and Gayle had purchased the home in 2000 for $1.4 million. Blanks customized the estate and initially listed it for $11.5 million before settling on the $7.3 million sale price.
