USA Today bring us a profile of the new Mega Personality brand George Forman.

From the article:

•Grills. He says he had no interest, initially, in linking his name with a grill. Today, the George Foreman Grill is a whole line — from grills to rotisseries — with 50 millions units sold and retail sales exceeding $2 billion, says CEO Leon Dreimann of Salton Appliances.

In 1999, Salton paid Foreman and his partners $137.5 million for their half of the business and the Foreman trademark. In addition, he says, Salton pays him about $3 million a year to be in ads.

Although U.S. sales growth has stopped, the appliances are taking off with new audiences in Europe, South Africa and Australia, Dreimann says.

"George is one of the smartest men I know," Dreimann says. "I have not seen anybody better with the public, especially with children."

•Exercise equipment. Foreman recently signed a deal to promote his own brand of exercise equipment as a weight-loss technique. The gear will be promoted later this year in infomercials. "I'm going to show how to lose weight through exercise, not diet," Foreman says. His goal: lose 60 pounds.

•Sausages. He's no Jimmy Dean, but Foreman has a three-year deal to endorse George Foreman Sausage.

•Household cleaner. Get ready for George Foreman Knockout Cleanser. Foreman will endorse a line of cleaners without harmful chemicals. It should be out in about six months, he says.

•Cookbooks. Simon & Schuster, which published George Foreman's Big Book of Grilling, Barbecue and Rotisserie, plans to publish another cookbook in November, spokeswoman Aileen Boyle says.

•CDs. Foreman recently released George Foreman Inspirations, a double CD, including one disc of original religious songs with music performed by the Vienna Festival Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Boys Choir.

•Collectibles. At his Web site, biggeorge.com, autographed boxing gloves can be had for $291.

•TV shows. Foreman is negotiating with two networks to host an evening talk show in 2005 and star in a Saturday morning cartoon, says Henry Holmes, his attorney.

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