Gary Dahl, a man who lived the American dream, becoming a millionaire by selling people ordinary rocks as pets, has passed away at the age of 78.
An advertising copywriter in 1975, Dahl conceptualized the Pet Rock after listening to friends complain about having to take care of their actual pets.
The Pet Rock, which he marketed and sold for about $4, made him a millionaire when the idea became the most unlikely of fads for the next year or so.
"People are so damn bored, tired of all their problems. This takes them on a trip," he said at the time. You might say we’ve packaged a sense of humor."
A People article on Dahl from 1975 gushed about the product in epic terms.
The Pet Rock was culled from "Mexican beach stones, nestled on a bed of excelsior and packaged in a little doggy carrying case, equipped with breathing holes."
Like most fans, the Pet Rock didn’t last, but his later career saw him running a saloon and sail boat brokerage … and writing Advertising for Dummies in 2001.
R.I.P.