This Was Ray Kroc's Net Worth When He Died

If there was any justice in the world of thematic naming, Ray Kroc would be remembered as the esteemed inventor of the crock (Kroc?) pot. As it stands, however, it turns out he became even more successful in the world of food. As his Biography profile tells us, Kroc is the man who you should thank — or tut-tut at, depending on your personal stance on fast food — whenever you get a hankering for a Big Mac. In 1954, the serial entrepreneur met Dick and Mac McDonald at their San Bernardino, California restaurant, was impressed by their efficient operation, and became their franchise agent who polished the concept, built the McDonald's restaurant chain, and marketed the ever-loving secret sauce out of it all until everyone and their mom wanted a McDonald's burger. 

With that kind of resume, it's easy to imagine that Kroc had more in his pockets than a slightly stained napkin and a couple of bags of takeaway ketchup. Let's see precisely what Ray Kroc's net worth was when he died.  

Turns out, you can't just play an instrumental part in building the most popular fast food restaurant in the world without earning a fair fortune along the way. Such was the case with Ray Kroc, whose net worth at the time of his death was a whopping $600 million, according to wealth estimation site Celebrity Net Worth. That's a pretty nice payday for peddling Big Macs. 

Here's the thing, though: His $600 million net worth was way back in 1984. McDonald's hasn't exactly grown smaller in the three and a half decades since then, so what would his fortune look like with the company's size today? After all, his third wife, Joan Kroc, died in 2003, and was worth an estimated $3 billion when she died. If Kroc would be alive today, it's estimated that his fortune would be somewhere around $18 billion.