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McDonald's vs Pfizer: Founders, CEOs and History

McDonald's was founded in 1940 by Maurice James McDonald, Richard James McDonald, Ray Kroc and is led by Chris Kempczinski. Pfizer was founded in 1849 by Charles Pfizer, Charles Erhart and is led by Albert Bourla.

Company facts

McDonald's

Founded
1940
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Current CEO
Chris Kempczinski
Employees
150,000

Pfizer

Founded
1849
Headquarters
New York, New York
Current CEO
Albert Bourla
Employees
75,000

Founders

McDonald's

  • Maurice James McDonald

    Maurice "Mac" McDonald co-founded McDonald's with his brother Richard in 1940, opening a barbecue drive-in in San Bernardino, California.

  • Richard James McDonald

    Richard McDonald co-founded McDonald's and played a leading role in the 1948 redesign that turned a local drive-in into the template for modern fast food.

  • Ray Kroc

    Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955 and built the franchising organization that made the brand famous far beyond California.

McDonald's founders in full

Pfizer

  • Charles Pfizer

    Pfizer possesses a historic, immigrant founding story, rooted entirely in the rapid industrial expansion of 19th-century Brooklyn and defined by an effective, intensely meticulous German chemist and his ambitious confectioner cousin.

  • Charles Erhart

    Charles Erhart's role in Pfizer's founding is less celebrated than his cousin's, partly because the company carries Charles Pfizer's name and partly because his commercial contributions were less visible than the scientific achievements that drove the company'…

Pfizer founders in full

CEOs and their tenures

McDonald's

  1. Ray Kroc1967–1973

    CEO

    Under Kroc's executive leadership, McDonald's scaled from a regional drive-in licensing experiment into an international enterprise with over 2,500 locations and $1 billion in annual systemwide sales by the end of his CEO tenure in 1973.

    Source
  2. Fred Turner1974–1987

    CEO

    Turner expanded McDonald's from roughly 2,500 restaurants in 1974 to over 10,000 across 45 countries by 1987, multiplying systemwide sales from $1.9 billion to over $14 billion.

    Source
  3. Michael R. Quinlan1987–1998

    CEO

    During Quinlan's 11-year CEO tenure, McDonald's expanded from approximately 10,000 to over 24,000 restaurants globally, and annual systemwide sales rose from $14.3 billion in 1987 to $36 billion in 1998.

    Source
  4. Jack M. Greenberg1998–2002

    CEO

    Greenberg pushed global restaurant count past 30,000, but rapid store expansion cannibalized existing franchisees and kitchen complexity slowed drive-thru service.

    Source
  5. James R. Cantalupo2003–2004

    CEO

    Under Cantalupo's leadership, McDonald's launched the global 'I'm Lovin' It' campaign and introduced premium salads, driving 11 consecutive months of positive same-store sales growth.

    Source
  6. Charlie Bell2004–2004

    CEO

    During Bell's seven-month tenure, McDonald's generated 7.5% global comparable sales growth in 2004, its strongest operational performance in over a decade.

    Source
  7. Jim Skinner2004–2012

    CEO

    Skinner generated roughly 250% total shareholder returns between 2004 and 2012. Annual systemwide sales expanded from $46 billion to $86 billion, McCafé was rolled out internationally, and the company completed the complete divestiture of Chipotle, Boston Mark…

    Source
  8. Don Thompson2012–2015

    CEO

    Rapid menu proliferation complicated kitchen operations and pushed drive-thru wait times to historical highs.

    Source
  9. Steve Easterbrook2015–2019

    CEO

    Easterbrook refranchised over 4,000 company-owned locations to lift franchised ownership from 81% to approximately 93%, expanding operating margin from 29% to 43%.

    Source
  10. Chris Kempczinski2019–present

    CEO

    Since becoming CEO in November 2019, Kempczinski executed the 'Accelerating the Arches' framework, growing FY2025 consolidated revenue to $26.885 billion and net income to $8.563 billion.

    Source
McDonald's CEO history in full

Pfizer

  1. Ian Read2010–2018

    Chief Executive Officer

    He ruthlessly cut R&D spending and eliminated tens of thousands of jobs, significantly boosting short-term earnings per share despite massive patent cliffs for blockbuster drugs like Lipitor.

    Source
  2. Albert Bourla2019–present

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

    A veterinarian by training who joined Pfizer Animal Health in 1993, Bourla became CEO on January 1, 2019 and Chairman in 2020.

    Source
  3. Dave Denton2022–2026

    Chief Financial Officer

    As CFO, he aggressively restructured the balance sheet following the Seagen acquisition, prioritizing debt reduction while defending the dividend.

    Source
  4. Chris Boshoff2025–present

    Chief Scientific Officer and President, Research & Development

    He completely restructured the research and development organization to focus on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), aggressively expanding Pfizer's pipeline of cancer therapeutics.

    Source
  5. Cecile Guegan2026–present

    Interim Chief Financial Officer

    She modernized the company's internal auditing and compliance structures, ensuring rapid but safe clinical execution for high-priority vaccine programs.

    Source
Pfizer CEO history in full

Timeline: McDonald's and Pfizer side by side

  1. 1849Pfizer

    Pfizer Founded

    Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart founded the company in Brooklyn.

  2. 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.

  3. 1944Pfizer

    Penicillin Scale-Up

    Pfizer helped industrialize penicillin production during World War II.

  4. 1948McDonald's

    Speedee Service System Introduced

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

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  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. 1998Pfizer

    Viagra Approved

    The FDA approved Viagra in 1998.

  11. 2000Pfizer

    Warner-Lambert Deal

    Pfizer acquired Warner-Lambert, adding Lipitor.

  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. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. 2019Pfizer

    Albert Bourla becomes CEO

    Albert Bourla became CEO of Pfizer in 2019. A veterinarian by training who joined Pfizer Animal Health in 1993, Bourla became CEO on January 1, 2019 and Chairman in 2020.

  16. 2020Pfizer

    BioNTech COVID Vaccine Partnership

    Pfizer and BioNTech brought Comirnaty through emergency authorization.

  17. 2023Pfizer

    Seagen Acquisition

    Pfizer completed the $43 billion Seagen acquisition.

  18. 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.

  19. 2025McDonald's

    $26.9B FY2025 Revenue

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

  20. 2025Pfizer

    Chris Boshoff Becomes CSO

    Chris Boshoff became Chief Scientific Officer and President, Research & Development effective January 1, 2025.

  21. 2025Pfizer

    Metsera Acquisition

    Pfizer completed its acquisition of obesity drug developer Metsera in November 2025 for up to about $10 billion including CVRs.

  22. 2025Pfizer

    FY2025 Revenue Base

    Pfizer reported $62.579 billion of FY2025 revenue.

  23. 2026Pfizer

    Innovent Oncology Collaboration

    Pfizer signed a 12-program cancer collaboration with Innovent Biologics: $650 million upfront and up to $9.85 billion in milestones.

Acquisitions

McDonald's

  • Dynamic Yield2019$300M
  • Apprente2019Undisclosed
  • Boston Market2000$173.5M
  • Donatos Pizza1999Undisclosed
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill stake1998Undisclosed
All McDonald's acquisitions

Pfizer

  • Metsera, Inc.2025$7B
  • Seagen Inc.2023$43B
  • Medivation Inc.2016$14B
  • Wyeth2009$68B
  • Pharmacia Corporation2003$60B
  • Warner-Lambert Company2000$111B
All Pfizer acquisitions

Questions about McDonald's vs Pfizer

Who is the CEO of McDonald's Corporation and Pfizer Inc.?

McDonald's Corporation is led by Chris Kempczinski and Pfizer Inc. is led by Albert Bourla. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.

When was McDonald's Corporation founded vs Pfizer Inc.?

Pfizer Inc. was founded in 1849 — 91 years before McDonald's Corporation, which was founded in 1940. Pfizer Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger McDonald's Corporation.

How many employees does McDonald's Corporation have compared to Pfizer Inc.?

McDonald's Corporation employs approximately 150,000 people, while Pfizer Inc. employs approximately 75,000. McDonald's Corporation has the larger workforce at 150,000 employees, compared to Pfizer Inc.'s 75,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).

Where are McDonald's Corporation and Pfizer Inc. headquartered?

Both McDonald's Corporation and Pfizer Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.

Who founded McDonald's Corporation and Pfizer Inc.?

McDonald's Corporation was founded by Maurice James McDonald, Richard James McDonald, Ray Kroc. Pfizer Inc. was founded by Charles Pfizer, Charles Erhart.

Which company has a longer operating history — McDonald's Corporation or Pfizer Inc.?

Pfizer Inc. has been operating for approximately 177 years, making it the more established of the two companies. McDonald's Corporation has been in operation for around 86 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.

Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the McDonald's vs Pfizer overview

Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.