Kia vs McDonald's: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Kia and McDonald's side by side

1. 1940McDonald's

   First McDonald's Opens in San Bernardino

   Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonald's restaurant on May 15, 1940 in San Bernardino, California. The original drive-in gave the brothers a live operating laboratory before they stripped the model down to a faster, lower-cost menu.

2. 1944Kia

   Founding of Kyungsung Precision Industry

   Kim Chul-ho establishes a modest workshop in Seoul dedicated to the manufacturing of steel tubes and bicycle parts, laying the humble groundwork for what would eventually become a global automotive leader and a vital contributor to South Korea's post-war indus…

3. 1948McDonald's

   Speedee Service System Introduced

   The brothers simplified operations in 1948 around 15-cent hamburgers, shakes, and fries.

4. 1955McDonald's

   Ray Kroc Opens Des Plaines Restaurant

   Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois on April 15, 1955 after becoming the brothers' franchise agent. That restaurant became the base for converting a California operating idea into a national franchise system.

5. 1961McDonald's

   Hamburger University Opens

   Hamburger University opened in the basement of an Elk Grove Village, Illinois restaurant in 1961. The training program mattered because it formalized the standards and operating routines that franchisees needed to deliver a consistent experience.

6. 1961McDonald's

   Kroc Buys the Brothers' Company

   McDonald's says it acquired the rights to the brothers' company in 1961 for $2.7 million. The deal gave Kroc control of the name and system, setting up the real estate-backed franchise model that later defined parent-company economics.

7. 1968McDonald's

   Big Mac Added to National Menu

   The Big Mac, developed by owner-operator Jim Delligatti of Pittsburgh, was added to the national menu in 1968. It became a durable core product and a recognizable signal of the company's ability to turn franchisee ideas into systemwide menu platforms.

8. 1974Kia

   Launch of the Brisa, Kia's First Passenger Car

   Kia launched the Brisa, its first passenger car, built at the Sohari plant that opened in 1973. Kia had built motorcycles and light trucks before this, and the Brisa made it a carmaker.

9. 1975McDonald's

   Egg McMuffin Builds Breakfast

   The Egg McMuffin, created by owner-operator Herb Peterson of Santa Barbara, California, was added to the national menu in 1975. It helped turn breakfast into a major daypart rather than leaving the restaurants dependent on lunch and dinner traffic.

10. 1986Kia

    Launch of the Pride and Global Export Expansion

    Through a partnership with Ford and Mazda, Kia returned to passenger cars with the Pride. Abroad it was sold as the Ford Festiva, and it gave Kia its first large export volumes.

11. 1998Kia

    Hyundai Motor Acquires Kia

    After Kia collapsed in the 1997 Asian financial crisis and went into court receivership, Hyundai Motor won the 1998 auction for it, beating Ford among other bidders. Kia stayed a separate brand within the new Hyundai Motor Group.

12. 2003McDonald's

    I'm Lovin' It Campaign Launches

    McDonald's launched its global "I'm lovin' it" marketing campaign in 2003, its first worldwide brand campaign.

13. 2006Kia

    Recruitment of Peter Schreyer

    The enterprise makes the radical decision to hire former Audi design chief Peter Schreyer as its head of design, initiating a profound aesthetic revolution that introduces the well-known tiger-nose grille and elevates the brand from a budget alternative to a p…

14. 2011Kia

    Launch of the Optima and the Design Renaissance

    The Schreyer-designed Optima (K5) sedan brought Kia's new design language to a wide audience and helped it charge more and reach new buyers.

15. 2017McDonald's

    Global McDelivery Day with UberEATS

    McDonald's marked Global McDelivery Day in 2017 to support the broader launch of McDelivery with UberEATS. Delivery expanded restaurant reach beyond the counter and drive-thru, while also adding packaging, marketplace-fee, and kitchen-throughput challenges.

16. 2019McDonald's

    Dynamic Yield Acquisition

    McDonald's agreed to acquire Dynamic Yield in 2019 to personalize drive-thru menu boards, kiosks, and app experiences using signals such as time of day, weather, restaurant traffic, and trending items.

17. 2020Kia

    Announcement of the 'Plan S' Strategy

    Kia announced Plan S, its mid- to long-term strategy to move from a combustion-focused carmaker toward EVs, purpose-built vehicles and mobility services. In January 2021 it renamed itself Kia Corporation.

18. 2021Kia

    Launch of the EV6 and the E-GMP Platform

    The company introduces the award-winning EV6, the first dedicated electric vehicle built on the modular E-GMP platform, showcasing ultra-fast 800-volt charging capabilities and groundbreaking design, instantly establishing the enterprise as a serious technolog…

19. 2023Kia

    EV9 Launch

    Kia launched the EV9, a three-row electric SUV on the E-GMP platform, which went on to win the 2024 World Car of the Year award.

20. 2024McDonald's

    Quarter Pounder E. Coli Outbreak

    U.S. Public health agencies linked a 2024 E. Coli outbreak to slivered onions served on McDonald's Quarter Pounders in affected states.

21. 2025Kia

    FY2025 Revenue Reaches KRW 114.141 Trillion

    Kia sold a record 3,135,873 vehicles and reported FY2025 revenue of ~$81 billion (KRW 114.1 trillion) (+6.2%). Operating profit fell 28.3% to ~$6.45 billion (KRW 9.08 trillion) as US tariffs cost more than $2.13 billion (KRW 3 trillion).

22. 2025McDonald's

    $26.9B FY2025 Revenue

    McDonald's reported $26.885 billion in FY2025 revenue and $8.563 billion in net income.

23. 2026Kia

    2030 Targets Set at CEO Investor Day

    At its April 2026 CEO Investor Day, Kia set 2030 targets of ~$121 billion (KRW 170 trillion) in revenue, a 10% operating margin and 4.13 million sales. Q2 2026 revenue was a record ~$23.5 billion (KRW 33.04 trillion).

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