Ray Kroc Find a Grave Location and Burial Details
Ray Kroc find a grave searches point to the El Camino Memorial Park in Sorrento Valley, San Diego, California. He was buried there after passing away on January 14, 1984, at age 81. The cemetery is a well-known final resting place for prominent business figures and is frequently cited in genealogy and memorial databases. Visitors often combine the site with nearby McDonald's landmarks to trace the company's origin story. The grave is marked simply, reflecting his preference for privacy despite his massive public footprint. You can verify the record through official cemetery and memorial sites linked on major genealogy platforms. The exact GPS coordinates and plot details are available on the park's official page and third-party memorial directories Find a Grave.
El Camino Memorial Park is one of the most visited celebrity burial grounds in Southern California. It houses other notable executives and entertainers, which boosts its relevance for historical and financial researchers. The park maintains public records and allows guided visits, making it a practical stop for those studying corporate history. Local tourism guides often include the grave in business history tours of San Diego. The site is easily accessible from major highways and sits near several McDonald's corporate offices. This proximity reinforces the connection between Kroc's personal life and the company's operational base. The memorial listing includes birth and death dates, military service details, and family members El Camino Memorial Park.
Ray Kroc Net Worth, McDonald's Empire, and Financial Legacy
Ray Kroc built McDonald's into a global franchise system that generated hundreds of billions in cumulative revenue. At the time of his death, his personal net worth was estimated at around $500 million, a fraction of the company's total market value. Today, McDonald's market capitalization exceeds $200 billion, with thousands of locations worldwide and annual revenues above $25 billion. The company's stock performance and franchise model are frequently studied in finance and business courses. Kroc's strategic decisions on standardization, real estate ownership, and supply chain management set industry benchmarks. His legacy is often compared to other franchise pioneers and analyzed on platforms like Forbes and Bloomberg Forbes.
McDonald's operates as a franchising giant with a distinct asset-light model that maximizes returns for both the corporation and franchisees. The company earns revenue from rent, royalties, and fees rather than direct restaurant operations in most markets. This structure has contributed to consistent cash flow and high margins, making it a staple in institutional portfolios. Kroc's early focus on real estate acquisition gave the company leverage in negotiations with local operators. Financial analysts regularly cite McDonald's as a case study in scalable, repeatable business systems. The company's annual reports and investor presentations provide detailed breakdowns of revenue streams and growth metrics SEC.
Ray Kroc Biography, Key Dates, and Corporate Impact
Ray Kroc was born on October 15, 1902, in Oak Park, Illinois, and spent decades in sales before entering the restaurant industry. He joined the McDonald brothers in 1954, formalized the franchise model, and took the company public in 1965. Under his leadership, McDonald's expanded rapidly across the United States and later internationally, standardizing operations and menu items. Kroc served as CEO and chairman, steering the brand through decades of growth and cultural influence. His management style emphasized discipline, quality control, and relentless expansion, which shaped modern fast-food practices. Biographies and corporate histories document his role in transforming a regional barbecue stand into a global empire Britannica.