McDonald's vs SpaceX: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: McDonald's and SpaceX 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. 1948McDonald's

   Speedee Service System Introduced

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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 2002SpaceX

   SpaceX is founded

   Elon Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp. to reduce launch costs and make Mars settlement technically possible.

9. 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.

10. 2008SpaceX

    Falcon 1 reaches orbit

    Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid-fuel rocket to reach orbit, rescuing SpaceX after three failed attempts.

11. 2010SpaceX

    First Falcon 9 Launch

    SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket for the first time in June 2010 from Cape Canaveral.

12. 2012SpaceX

    Dragon reaches the ISS

    Dragon became the first private spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station, proving SpaceX could serve NASA cargo missions.

13. 2015SpaceX

    Falcon 9 booster landing

    SpaceX landed an orbital-class booster, establishing the technical base for reusable launch economics.

14. 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.

15. 2017SpaceX

    Orbital booster reflight

    SpaceX reflown an orbital-class booster, pushing reuse from demonstration into operating model.

16. 2018SpaceX

    Falcon Heavy Maiden Flight

    SpaceX flew the Falcon Heavy for the first time on February 6, 2018.

17. 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.

18. 2019SpaceX

    First Operational Starlink Batch

    SpaceX launched its first batch of 60 Starlink satellites in May 2019.

19. 2020SpaceX

    Crew Dragon carries astronauts

    SpaceX became the first private company to carry astronauts to orbit, restoring U.S. crew launch capability.

20. 2021SpaceX

    Acquired Swarm Technologies

    SpaceX acquired Swarm Technologies.

21. 2023SpaceX

    Starship flight testing begins

    SpaceX conducted the first integrated Starship flight test, starting the high-risk development cycle for its next launch system.

22. 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.

23. 2025McDonald's

    $26.9B FY2025 Revenue

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

24. 2025SpaceX

    FY2025 revenue reaches $18.674B

    SpaceX reported $18.674B in FY2025 revenue and a $4.937B net loss in its 2026 prospectus.

25. 2026SpaceX

    Prospectus lists SPCX and Starlink scale

    The 2026 prospectus described a Nasdaq listing under SPCX and about 10.3M Starlink subscribers as of March 31, 2026.

Acquisitions

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