Billy Blanks Net Worth

What Is Billy Blanks’ Net Worth?

Billy Blanks, the American fitness guru, martial artist, and actor, has accumulated a net worth of $20 million. His financial success is primarily attributed to the creation and popularization of the Tae Bo exercise program.

Tae Bo’s Impact on Billy Blanks’ Net Worth

The Tae Bo exercise program, invented by Billy Blanks, became a major American fitness craze. In its first year alone, Tae Bo sold over 1.5 million VHS tapes, resulting in $80 million in sales. To date, Tae Bo has generated well over $150 million in total revenue, significantly contributing to Billy Blanks’ net worth.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

William Wayne Blanks was born on September 1, 1955, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was one of fifteen children. During his childhood, Blanks struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia. He also had a hip joint anomaly that affected his movement, making him clumsy and less athletic. Inspired by Bruce Lee, he began studying karate and discovered his passion for martial arts.

Martial Arts Career and Film Appearances

Blanks initially worked as a security/bodyguard for Catherine Bach on the set of “Driving Force” in Manila. His performance impressed the film’s producers, leading to a supporting role in the movie. He went on to appear in several martial arts films, including “King of the Kickboxers” and “Bloodfist.” Additionally, Blanks had roles in films such as Tony Scott’s “The Last Boy Scout,” where he played a football player, and the 1997 film “Kiss the Girls,” where he portrayed Ashley Judd’s kickboxing instructor. While specific financial details from these roles aren’t publicly available, they added to Billy Blanks’ net worth.

The Development and Popularity of Tae Bo

While running his taekwondo studio in Quincy, Massachusetts, Blanks developed the Tae Bo workout, incorporating elements of martial arts training and boxing. The name “Tae Bo” is a combination of “Tae” (from taekwondo) and “Bo” (from boxing). Blanks opened his own fitness center in the Los Angeles area to teach this new workout. His plan included attracting celebrity clients such as Paula Abdul. Tae Bo’s popularity grew rapidly, becoming a major pop culture phenomenon. The mass marketing of Tae Bo videos had a significant impact on Billy Blanks’ net worth.

Personal Life and Family

Billy Blanks married Gayle H. Godfrey, whom he met in karate class in 1974, when he was in his twenties. He adopted Godfrey’s daughter, Shellie, who is a martial artist and appeared 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, which focused on Total Transformation Training. Blanks and Godfrey also had a son, Billy Blanks, Jr. After 33 years of marriage, Blanks and Godfrey divorced in 2008, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Blanks had another daughter, Angelika, with his Japanese interpreter. In 2009, he married Tomoko Sato and adopted her daughters, Marriett and Erika Peterson. Blanks is a Christian and released a line of workouts called the “Believer’s” series, which incorporated motivational prayers and Christian elements into his Tae Bo workouts.

Real Estate Investments

Billy Blanks translated his Tae Bo success into real estate investments. In 2001, he sold his home in Hidden Hills, CA, for $7.3 million to an undisclosed buyer. Blanks and Gayle had purchased the home on January 31, 2000, for $1.4 million. The property was customized to Blanks’ specifications, and he initially sought $11.5 million before settling for $7.3 million, reflecting a substantial profit that contributed to Billy Blanks’ net worth.