History YMMV / TheFounder

* InformedWrongness: By Ray himself. He tells Mac that he's a dog-eat-dog, rat-eat-rat businessman who would stick a hose in his competitor's mouth if he were drowning. But throughout the movie, he consistently engages in perfectly legal and ethical business practices. While exploiting a loophole may be seen as underhanded that is a move of desperation, not his normal method of operation. Had the brothers been willing to give Ray just a bit more, while they were getting very rich, Ray likely never would've found the loophole. Likewise all of his investors and franchisees are treated very well and make a huge profit as a result. Eventually, his secretary even rises to a very powerful position in the company at a time when that was nearly impossible for a woman and he makes a loyal burger flipper one of his top lieutenants. He even gives Dick and Mac the $2.7 million (in 1961, which would be $27.9 million in 2024 currency) they ask for without negotiating, even though he was in a very powerful position and likely could've forced them out with nothing. (Remember that the brothers didn't do any work in constructing the franchise or put up any money in the whole deal. So they got one heck of a good pay day in the end for essentially just licensing their name. Even their Speedy system could not have been trademarked.) No, he does not ever pay them the 1% of the annual profits they ask for, but it's highly disputed whether they actually asked for it in real life.

* InformedWrongness: By Ray himself. He tells Mac that he's a dog-eat-dog, rat-eat-rat businessman who would stick a hose in his competitor's mouth if he were drowning. But throughout the movie, he consistently engages in perfectly legal and ethical business practices. While exploiting a loophole may be seen as underhanded that is a move of desperation, not his normal method of operation. Had the brothers been willing to give Ray just a bit more, while they were getting very rich, Ray likely never would’ve found the loophole. Likewise all of his investors and franchisees are treated very well and make a huge profit as a result. Eventually, his secretary even rises to a very powerful position in the company at a time when that was nearly impossible for a woman and he makes a loyal burger flipper one of his top lieutenants. He even gives Dick and Mac the $2.7 million (in 1961, which would be $23.4 million in 2019 currency) they ask for without negotiating, even though he was in a very powerful position and likely could've forced them out with nothing. (Remember that the brothers didn't do any work in constructing the franchise or put up any money in the whole deal. So they got one heck of a good pay day in the end for essentially just licensing their name. Even their Speedy system could not have been trademarked.) No, he does not ever pay them the 1% of the annual profits they ask for, but it's highly disputed whether they actually asked for it in real life.

* InformedFlaw: By Ray himself. He tells Mac that he's a dog-eat-dog, rat-eat-rat businessman who would stick a hose in his competitor's mouth if he were drowning. But throughout the movie, he consistently engages in perfectly legal and ethical business practices. While exploiting a loophole may be seen as underhanded that is a move of desperation, not his normal method of operation. Had the brothers been willing to give Ray just a bit more, while they were getting very rich, Ray likely never would’ve found the loophole. Likewise all of his investors and franchisees are treated very well and make a huge profit as a result. Eventually, his secretary even rises to a very powerful position in the company at a time when that was nearly impossible for a woman and he makes a loyal burger flipper one of his top lieutenants. He even gives Dick and Mac the $2.7 million (in 1961, which would be $23.4 million in 2019 currency) they ask for without negotiating, even though he was in a very powerful position and likely could've forced them out with nothing. (Remember that the brothers didn't do any work in constructing the franchise or put up any money in the whole deal. So they got one heck of a good pay day in the end for essentially just licensing their name. Even their Speedy system could not have been trademarked.) No, he does not ever pay them the 1% of the annual profits they ask for, but it's highly disputed whether they actually asked for it in real life.

** One scene which hints at the above interpretation is the scene where Dick, after a frustrating phone call with Ray, fumes that he and Mac have "let the wolf into the hen-house" by going into business with Ray. The subject of the phone call was Ray asking to renegotiate his franchising deal with the [=McDonald=] brothers for a modest increase in his share of the profits, which they have summarily rejected. While it's suggestive of the difference in values between the two parties, it's also suggestive of a certain amount of SelfServingMemory, since it's easy to argue that at that point Ray is the one being preyed on by the [=McDonalds=] rather than the other way around.

** Dick and Mac. Throughout the movie they are portrayed in a sympathetic light and as hard-working, honest businessman who, in the end, get taken advantage of by the ruthless Ray. But remember that they wrote up a contract (which Ray willingly agreed to) that insured they would not have to actually do any work, assume any risk, and would have total control of everything. After Ray works his butt off to get the whole system started everyone is turning a profit except for him. Dick and Mac won't even hear him out when he asks for a modest increase in his share. Being as Ray's hard work has netted the brothers a nice profit it seems pretty harsh that they deny him an opportunity to make just enough to ensure he won't lose his house. In the end Ray gives them the $2.7 million they ask for in the buyout. On top of what they had already made this is one heck of a profit for two guys who essentially deserved just a licensing agreement and finder's fee. The argument can thus be made that while they are perhaps less ''overtly'' cut-throat and ruthless than Ray is shown to become, they are not as different as they might like to think or act, being just as willing to profit off someone else's ideas and hard work as Ray is -- Ray just plays the game better than they do in the end.

** Dick and Mac. Throughout the movie they are portrayed in a sympathetic light and as hard-working, honest businessman who, in the end, get taken advantage of by the ruthless Ray. But remember that they wrote up a contract (which Ray willingly agreed to) that insured they would not have to actually do any work, assume any risk, and would have total control of everything. After Ray works his butt off to get the whole system started everyone is turning a profit except for him. Dick and Mac won't even hear him out when he asks for a modest increase in his share. Being as Ray's hard work has netted the brothers a nice profit it seems pretty harsh that they deny him an opportunity to make just enough to ensure he won't lose his house. In the end Ray gives them the $2.7 million they ask for in the buyout. On top of what they had already made this is one heck of a profit for two guys who essentially deserved just a licensing agreement and finder's fee.

* InformedFlaw: By Ray himself. He tells Mac that he's a dog-eat-dog, rat-eat-rat businessman who would stick a hose in his competitor's mouth if he were drowning. But throughout the movie, he engages in legal and ethical business practices. While exploiting a loophole may be seen as underhanded that is a move of desperation, not his normal method of operation. Had the brothers been willing to give Ray just a bit more, while they were getting very rich, Ray likely never would’ve found the loophole. Likewise all of his investors and franchisees are treated very well and make a huge profit as a result. Eventually, his secretary even rises to a very powerful position in the company at a time when that was nearly impossible for a woman and he makes a loyal burger flipper one of his top lieutenants. He even gives Dick and Mac the $2.7 million (in 1961, which would be $23.4 million in 2019 currency) they ask for without negotiating, even though he was in a very powerful position and likely could've forced them out with nothing. (Remember that the brothers didn't do any work in constructing the franchise or put up any money in the whole deal. So they got one heck of a good pay day in the end for essentially just licensing their name. Even their Speedy system could not have been trademarked.) No, he does not ever pay them the 1% of the annual profits they ask for, but it's highly disputed whether they actually asked for it in real life.

* FridgeBrilliance: Ray Kroc, for all his accomplishments, is shown to be poor at innovation: He didn't come up with [=McDonald=]'s or franchising and most subsequent changes (ex. powdered milkshakes, buying land) are instigated by someone else. At the end of the film he's practicing a stirring speech that extols his success, but it's almost exactly the same as the motivational tapes he was listening to at the start of the film: it is another example of how Kroc's skill lies not in coming up with new ideas but in finding ways to sell the ideas of others as if they were his own.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: A biopic about the early days of [=McDonald's=] centered around a sleazy business tycoon who screws over two hard-working brothers (to the point of sheer pettiness) and ends up stealing their speedy system, their restaurant building design, and even their ''name'', all in a plan to get up to the top. Accomplishing that, Kroc goes out of his way to drive the brothers out of business in their succeeding establishment without any repercussions. Needless to say, it's not what you'd call an upbeat romp. Then again, it depends on which side you fall on. If you agree more with Kroc, then it's a lot more inspiring.

* FridgeBrilliance: Ray Kroc, for all his accomplishments, is shown to be poor at innovation: He didn't come up with [=McDonald=]'s or franchising and most subsequent changes (ex. powdered milkshakes, buying land) are instigated by someone else. At the end of the film he's practicing a stirring speech that extols his success, but it's almost exactly the same as the motivational tapes he was listening to at the start of the film: it is another example of how Kroc's skill lies not in coming up with new ideas but in finding ways to sell the ideas of othera as if they were his own.

* FridgeBrilliance: Ray Kroc, for all his accomplishments, is shown to be poor at innovation: He didn't come up with [=McDonald=]'s or franchising and most subsequent changes (ex. powdered milkshakes, buying land) are instigated by someone else. At the end of the film he's practicing a stirring speech that extols his success, but it's almost exactly the same as the motivational tapes he was listening to at the start of the film: it is another example of how Kroc's skill lies not in coming up with new ideas but in finding ways to sell the ideas of other as if they were his own.

* InformedFlaw: By Ray himself. He tells Mac that he's a dog-eat-dog, rat-eat-rat businessman who would stick a hose in his competitor's mouth if he were drowning. But throughout the movie, he engages in legal and ethical business practices. While exploiting a loophole may be seen as underhanded that is a move of desperation, not his normal method of operation. Had the brothers been willing to give Ray just a bit more, while they were getting very rich, Ray likely never would’ve found the loophole. Likewise all of his investors and franchisees are treated very well and make a huge profit as a result. Eventually, his secretary even rises to a very powerful position in the company at a time when that was nearly impossible for a woman and he makes a loyal burger flipper one of his top lieutenants. He even gives Dick and Mac the $2.7 million they ask for without negotiating, even though he was in a very powerful position and likely could've forced them out with nothing. (Remember that the brothers didn't do any work in constructing the franchise or put up any money in the whole deal. So they got one heck of a good pay day in the end for essentially just licensing their name. Even their Speedy system could not have been trademarked.) No, he does not ever pay them the 1% of the annual profits they ask for, but it's highly disputed whether they actually asked for it in real life.

*** It should be noted that in real life, the brothers saw it this way as well and were very happy with the huge nest egg they had for retirement. Likewise, while they certainly had some disagreements with Ray, their split was a mutual decision and they never expressed any regrets about it. In 1984, Dick even ate the ceremonial 50 billionth burger [=McDonald=]'s sold.
*** It should also be noted that their request for 1% of the annual profits as part of the buyout agreement has never been verified. The brothers never attempted to sue over it. Therefore, it's entirely possible that it's all just a rumor from some of their bitter descendants who would be billionaires today had that actually been signed.