Simplot

French Fry Billionaire Dead At 99

Filed under: Dining

J.R. Simplot may have started his young journey with only four gold coins in his hand but he left this world with billions of dollars and fame for all but inventing the first commercially viable frozen french fry potato in the world. "Mr. Spud" was on the board of McDonalds (which began as a thriving relationship of fries and hashbrowns) and even donated his house to the state as the new Idaho Governor's Mansion. For seventy years Simplot was a potato farmer, businessman and political enthusiast who left his mark on the land. In 2006, the Simplot family ranked number 80 on Forbes magazine's list of richest Americans with an estimated wealth of $3.2 billion. Although Mr. Simplot has passed on, his legacy of french fries will most likely never see an end.

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Tags: french-fries, Idaho-potatoes, JR Simplot, JrSimplot, Simplot