Truett Cathy, founder of Chik-fil-A, dies at 93
Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy has died at age 93. The fast food chain known for its mix of religion and business made headlines in 2012 when its president made statements opposing same-sex marriage. (Reuters)
S. Truett Cathy, who became a billionaire as the founder of Chick-fil-A Inc., the closely held fast-food franchise known for its “Eat Mor Chikin’” slogan and for staying closed on Sundays to reflect Mr. Cathy’s Southern Baptist faith, died Sept. 8 at his home in suburban Clayton County, south of Atlanta. He was 93.
The company announced the death but did not cite a cause.
The chicken chain that Mr. Cathy started in Georgia in 1946 grew to more than 1,800 restaurants in 39 states and the nation’s capital, according to the Atlanta-based company’s website. Chick-fil-A is valued at about $5.5 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Cathy had a net worth of $1.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The prospect of an even bigger payday never persuaded Mr. Cathy, the longtime chairman and chief executive, to take his company public. Doing so, he said in a 1998 interview, would mean giving up family control of matters such as contributions to charity and remaining closed on Sundays.
“As a public company, I’m sure somebody would object to our generosity,” he said.
Even as it expanded nationwide, Chick-fil-A remained a distinctly Southern institution, one that generated fierce loyalty among its customers. In 1982, the company adopted a two- sentence corporate mission: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”
