Have you ever heard that a fascinating aspect of business is that the people at the top aren’t necessarily the ones who had the best ideas? Nor are they always the ones who pioneered a certain industry. This was the case of the McDonald’s brothers, who sold their multi-billion dollar fast-food idea to an entrepreneur.
Maurice McDonald passed away several years before his brother Richard McDonald, who passed away in 1998. Richard left a will to the value of $1.8 million. And he spent his final days in a modest family home after leaving the nursing home. The McDonald’s brother’s net would have been more than $100 billion now. However, the brothers never possessed any of it.
Continue reading to learn more about the McDonald’s brothers’ net worth and history.
Who Are the McDonald’s Brothers?
The McDonald’s brothers were born in Manchester, N.H. However, the two were born on February 20, 1909, and November 26, 1902. They were raised by their parents, who were both of Spanish descent, together with their three sisters.
When Maurice and Richard were growing up, their father, Patrick McDonald, had a low-paying job as a shift manager at a shoe factory. Patrick could barely keep afloat with his job and family’s demands on him. After more than four decades of service, he was let go from the shoe factory, and life became difficult for his family.
They must have gleaned a great deal from their father’s final years, for the brothers chose to go into business for themselves. However, things didn’t go quite as expected.
A cinema theater they opened during the Great Depression went bust due to the recession. After that, they turned to the food industry, the only one in their neighborhood doing well. And the world-renowned fast-food giant, McDonald’s, was born.
To ensure that customers could have their burgers and fries in 30 seconds or less, they came up with the “Speedee Service System,” which they dubbed a “well-orchestrated procedure.”
What is the McDonald’s Brothers’ Net Worth?
Richard McDonald, who had outlived his brother, passed away in 1998, leaving behind a will worth only $1.8 million. After spending his final days there, he died at a three-bedroom home in the suburbs. It’s estimated that the McDonald’s net worth would likely be more than $100 billion today. Yet the brothers owned nothing of it.
In reality, Ray Kroc is today regarded as the company’s founder. In their golden days, the McDonald brothers’ net worth is unknown because it has been decades since that time period. Despite their alleged financial success, they were alleged to be doing extremely well until the Ray collaboration occurred.
Conclusion
Even though they created their multimillion-dollar company together, they did not die together. On December 11, 1971, Maurice passed away. On that terrible day, he died after a massive heart attack.
When it came to Richard’s death, it was many years later, on July 14, 1998, that he passed away. He passed away while he was a resident of a nursing home in Manchester, which is situated in New Hampshire.
