Ray & Joan

The Man Who Made the McDonald's Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away

By: Lisa Napoli

Narrated by: Lisa Napoli

The movie The Founder, starring Michael Keaton, focused the spotlight on Ray Kroc, the man who amassed a fortune as the chairman of McDonald’s. But what about his wife Joan, the woman who became famous for giving away his fortune? Lisa Napoli tells the fascinating story behind the historic couple.

Ray & Joan is a quintessentially American tale of corporate intrigue and private passion: a struggling Mad Men–era salesman with a vision for a fast-food franchise that would become one of the world’s most enduring brands, and a beautiful woman willing to risk her marriage and her reputation to promote controversial causes that touched her deeply.

Ray Kroc was peddling franchises around the country for a fledgling hamburger stand in the 1950s—McDonald’s, it was called—when he entered a St. Paul supper club and encountered a beautiful young piano player who would change his life forever. The attraction between Ray and Joan was instantaneous and instantly problematic. Yet even the fact that both were married to other people couldn’t derail their roller coaster of a romance.

To the outside world, Ray and Joan were happy, enormously rich, and giving. But privately, Joan was growing troubled over Ray’s temper and dark secret, something she was reluctant to publicly reveal. Those close to them compared their relationship to that of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. And yet, this volatility paved the way for Joan’s transformation into one of the greatest philanthropists of our time. A force in the peace movement, she produced activist films, books, and music and ultimately gave away billions of dollars, including landmark gifts to the Salvation Army and NPR.

Together, the two stories form a compelling portrait of the twentieth century: a story of big business, big love, and big giving.

Fascinating story, however a dissed jointed writing of the story and fax.

I enjoyed learning about both Ray and Joan, especially Jones philanthropy. The author used a style that seemed very dissed jointed introducing many different facts without a seeming smooth thread.

Absolutely fantastic book

I have really enjoyed this book since I grew up in the late 50s and early 60s when McDonald’s were starting in my various hometowns gradebook

It's Worth It For the Story of MacDonald's

Ms. Napoli’s book works when she either details Ray Kroc’s life or Ray and Joan interacting together. Read it to find out how MacDonald's Inc. evolved--Ms. Napoli does a good job explaining that. After Ray dies the books turns, well, boring. Eventually it turns into one of those “it’s about us girls” books in which it’s assumed men cannot comprehend the experience of being an independent female. The author inherits a problem in that neither Ray nor Joan are particularly likable. Read the first three-fourths and don’t feel guilty if you skip the last fourth and go on to something else.

Inspirational

I selected this for my book club - about someone who is a philanthropist. I liked that this book drilled down to how the Kroc fortune was attained. I appreciated that it wasn’t always flattering, the author kept it real. Joan’s generosity is an inspiration.

I enjoyed learning about McDonald's.

The story was well told. There is so many interesting people and events that came together to make this empire. I will never look at the Golden Arches the second again.