Few entrepreneurs can claim to have radically changed the way we live, and Ray Kroc is one of them.

His revolutions in food-service automation, franchising, shared national training, and advertising have earned him a place beside the men and women who have founded not only businesses, but entire empires.

But even more interesting than Ray Kroc the business man is Ray Kroc the man.

Not your typical self-made tycoon, Kroc was 52 years old when he opened his first franchise.