Ron Popeil, Infomercial Tycoon, Dies At 86

Ron Popeil, the legendary infomercial personality and inventor, died Wednesday morning, his family told TMZ. He was 86.

Popeil suffered a medical emergency on Tuesday and was taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Popeil was born in New York in 1935, and became the face of television marketing in the mid-1950s through his Ronco products, like the Chop-O-Matic, the Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ, the Pocket Fisherman, Mr. Microphone and Hair in a Can.

Popeil may have been best known for his even more popular catchphrases, including “Set it, and forget it!” and “But wait, there’s more!”

His website touts that throughout his career, he’s “been on more television channels for more hours in more markets for more years than virtually all other celebrities in American television history.”

In 1993, the TV icon won the IG Nobel Prize in consumer engineering ― a satirical award that celebrates odd or trivial achievements.