Who Is Ray Kroc? How McDonald’s Was Started and Became an Empire

• McDonald’s is among the most iconic and successful brands worldwide.
• Ray Kroc, a Multimixer salesman, stumbled upon the original McDonald’s brothers’ burger restaurant in 1954.
• Kroc became McDonald’s first franchisee and transformed the restaurant into a global empire.

The McDonald brothers opened their small restaurant in 1940 with a simple menu: burgers, fries, and beverages like their “Triple Thick Milkshakes.”

Ray Kroc, a Multimixer salesman, saw the restaurant’s potential and became McDonald’s first franchise agent.

In 1955, Kroc founded McDonald’s System, Inc., which would later become the McDonald’s Corporation. He bought out the brothers in 1961 for $2.7 million, the equivalent of about $28.5 million today.

Here’s a timeline showing how Ray Kroc built McDonald’s from a small burger joint to a global fast-food empire.