Ray Kroc was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 2, 1906. He was the son of a wealthy father who owned a chain of movie theaters and a mother who ran an upscale dress shop. Ray graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Illinois in 1924 and then attended law school until 1926. After working briefly as an attorney, he became fascinated with the restaurant business
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He purchased his first franchise in 1933, after studying the operations of other restaurants for nearly two years. Kroc purchased his first McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois (the first McDonald's opened in San Bernardino, California). After buying out his partner's interest in 1954, Kroc purchased the remaining franchise rights to the McDonald's concept and became its sole owner.
By 1960 there were more than 500 McDonald's restaurants worldwide. Ray Kroc passed away on September 12, 1984.