Watch: The Wolf of McWall Street Eats Up the Spoils of Crony Capitalism
The humble origins of what became the McDonald's fast-food empire are not so embedded in our consciousness as the Big Mac. But that may be about to change with the upcoming release of "The Founder," starring Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Michael Keaton's character says. How the heck does a 52-year-old over-the-hill milkshake machine salesman build a fast-food empire with 1,600 restaurants and an annual revenue of $700 million? One word. Persistence.”
"The Founder" stars Linda Cardellini, Michael Keaton and Patrick Wilson. The film is directed by John Lee Hancock, written by Robert D. Siegel and hits theaters August 5.
Kroc initially pitched himself as the first franchisee outside of the company’s home base of Arizona and California - and essentially expand across America. In 1955, he launched a structure for the proposed franchises. ‘McDonald’s System, Inc.’ But his obsession with the chain led him to seek exclusive rights to the McDonald’s name, which he secured just six years later.
Kroc really loved the McDonald's name:
