Though he had earned nice commissions as a paper cup salesman, his relationship with his wife Ethel (Laura Dern in the movie) and daughter Marilyn was strained as a result
No. The Founder true story reveals that Richard and Mac McDonald had already sold more than 20 franchises and opened eight restaurants themselves by the time they met Ray Kroc. In 1954, Kroc got wind that the brothers were looking for help expanding, so he offered to buy the U.S. franchise rights. -Sun Journal
However, in fact-checking The Founder, we confirmed that Kroc’s relationship with his family had been deteriorating before he became involved with McDonald’s (as shown in the movie)
Yes. Ethel had opposed his decision to start selling milkshake machines, believing he was giving up a good job and was too old (35) to start a new career. His obsession with work only intensified after he met the McDonald brothers. He and his wife Ethel divorced in 1961, the same year he spent $2.7 million to buy out the brothers’ stake in the company. -Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald’s
Kroc was 52 when he found success with McDonald’s. When teased that he was an overnight success at the age of 52 
, Kroc reminded people of the long road it took to get there, “I was an overnight success alright, but 30 years is a long, long night.” Before McDonald’s, Kroc had worked as a piano player, a paper cup salesman, and a Multimixer salesman, the latter being the job that introduced him to the McDonald brothers, Dick and Maurice. -McDonalds
Dick and Mac McDonald didn’t have any interest in doing it themselves. Ray Kroc suggested that he try to do it for them and they were open to the idea, having just lost their previous franchising agent due to health issues.
Yes. Though it’s not focused on in the movie, before Ray Kroc could open his first McDonald’s in Des Plaines, Illinois, he had to buy out the Frejlack Ice Cream Company’s contract for $25,000. Continue reading “He put everything he had into work, leaving little time for his family”