Winston Groom was an American novelist, journalist, and historian who had a net worth of $6 million at the time of his death.

Winston Groom is best remembered as the author of the 1986 novel "Forrest Gump," which inspired the enormously successful 1994 film starring Tom Hanks.

Although the movie transformed Forrest Gump into one of the most recognizable characters in American popular culture, Groom had already established himself as a respected writer of fiction and military history. His debut novel, "Better Times Than These," drew on his experiences as an infantry officer during the Vietnam War. His nonfiction book "Conversations with the Enemy," written with Duncan Spencer, became a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Groom eventually wrote more than 20 books, covering subjects ranging from the Civil War and World War I to American presidents, military commanders, aviation pioneers, and University of Alabama football. The success of the "Forrest Gump" movie revived sales of his original novel and led him to write the sequel "Gump & Co." His financial relationship with Paramount also became one of Hollywood's most famous examples of the difference between gross and net-profit participation.

Winston Francis Groom Jr. was born on March 23, 1943, in Washington, D.C. He was the only child of Winston Groom Sr. and Ruth Knudsen Groom. His father worked as an attorney for the Pentagon before returning to Mobile, Alabama, to practice law. His mother was an English teacher who encouraged his interest in books and writing.

Groom grew up in the Mobile area and attended the University Military School, later known as UMS-Wright Preparatory School. He initially expected to become a lawyer like his father.

At the University of Alabama, Groom joined the Army ROTC and edited campus humor and literary publications. His work as an editor helped persuade him to pursue writing rather than law. He graduated in 1965.

After college, Groom was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He served in the infantry and spent part of 1966 and 1967 in Vietnam with the Fourth Infantry Division.

His military service became one of the defining influences on his writing. Groom later said that Vietnam gave him his first experience of doing something he considered truly consequential and created a lifelong interest in writing about soldiers and war.

After leaving the Army, Groom joined the "Washington Star" as a reporter. He covered the Department of Justice, federal courts, and political stories before leaving journalism to pursue fiction full-time.

Groom moved to New York and became part of a literary circle that included writers such as Joseph Heller, Irwin Shaw, and Willie Morris.

Groom published his first novel, "Better Times Than These," in 1978. The book followed an American rifle company during the Vietnam War and earned strong reviews for its portrayal of combat and the soldiers' disillusionment.

He followed it with "As Summers Die," "Only," and "Conversations with the Enemy." The latter told the controversial story of Robert Garwood, a Marine who returned to the United States after spending years in Vietnam and was court-martialed for desertion and collaborating with the enemy. The book was a finalist for the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.

Groom later became especially prolific as a writer of military and American history. His nonfiction works included "Shrouds of Glory," "A Storm in Flanders," "1942: The Year That Tried Men's Souls," "Patriotic Fire," "Vicksburg, 1863," "Shiloh, 1862," "The Aviators," "The Generals," and "The Allies."

He also wrote several books connected to the University of Alabama football program, including "The Crimson Tide."

Groom returned to Alabama during the mid-1980s and began writing "Forrest Gump." The idea was partly inspired by a story his father had told him about a boy with an intellectual disability whom he had known growing up.

Groom reportedly completed the novel in about six weeks. Published in 1986, "Forrest Gump" followed an Alabama man with an IQ of 70 as he stumbled through major moments in American history. The novel's version of Forrest was more physically imposing, mathematically gifted, and outrageous than the gentler character later portrayed by Hanks.

The book initially sold respectably but did not become a major bestseller. That changed after director Robert Zemeckis adapted it into the 1994 film "Forrest Gump."

The movie earned nearly $678 million worldwide and won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film's popularity pushed Groom's novel onto bestseller lists years after its original publication. It eventually sold around 1.7 million copies worldwide.

Groom followed it with the 1995 sequel "Gump & Co.," in which Forrest continued stumbling through events of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Groom received $350,000 for the movie rights to "Forrest Gump" and was promised 3% of the film's net profits.

Despite the movie's enormous box-office success, Paramount initially claimed that "Forrest Gump" had lost more than $60 million after the studio deducted production expenses, marketing costs, distribution fees, interest, overhead, and payments to gross-profit participants.

As a result, Groom initially received nothing from his 3% net-profit interest. Paramount advanced him an additional $250,000 while the two sides discussed the accounting.

Groom hired an attorney and threatened legal action. He eventually reached an undisclosed settlement with Paramount and negotiated a separate seven-figure deal for the film rights to "Gump & Co." Unlike his original contract, the sequel agreement reportedly entitled him to participation calculated before expenses.

A second "Forrest Gump" movie was discussed but never produced.

Groom spent much of his later life in Point Clear and Fairhope, Alabama, near Mobile Bay. In 2018, he listed a Georgian-style residence in Fairhope for $1.36 million.

The home included a swimming pool, a sunroom, formal living spaces, and a study where Groom worked on his books. He remained closely identified with Alabama's Gulf Coast throughout his life.

Groom was married three times and divorced twice. He had a daughter, Carolina, and three stepchildren. His survivors included his wife, Susan Groom.

Winston Groom died in his sleep at his home in Fairhope on September 17, 2020. He was 77 years old, and his family believed that he most likely suffered a heart attack.

At the time of his death, Groom was awaiting publication of "The Patriots," his combined biography of Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. The book was published posthumously later that year.