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Ray Kroc didn't invent the hamburger. He didn't invent fast food. But he did pull off one of the most ruthless corporate takeovers in American history.

In 1954, Dick and Mac McDonald had a wildly successful, hyper-efficient burger stand in San Bernardino. They were making a fortune and living comfortably. Then a struggling 52-year-old milkshake machine salesman named Ray Kroc walked into their parking lot. Within seven years, Kroc would own their system, their trademark, and their name—leaving the brothers legally barred from calling their own restaurant "McDonald's."

In this episode of Corporate Wars:

The tennis court experiment that changed how the world eats.
Why McDonald's isn't actually in the food business (and the financial architect who figured it out).
The $2.7 million buyout and the legendary, contested "handshake agreement."
How Ray Kroc deliberately erased the McDonald brothers from their own history.

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Visit us at corporatewarspod.com

The Golden Heist: How Ray Kroc Stole McDonald's