McDonald's vs Twilio: 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. Twilio was founded in 2008 by Jeff Lawson, John Wolthuis, Evan Cooke and is led by Khozema Shipchandler.
Company facts
McDonald's
- Founded
- 1940
- Headquarters
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Current CEO
- Chris Kempczinski
- Employees
- 150,000
Twilio
- Founded
- 2008
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Current CEO
- Khozema Shipchandler
- Employees
- 5,492
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.
Twilio
Jeff Lawson
Jeff Lawson co-founded Twilio in 2008 and was CEO until January 2024, leading it through its 2016 IPO and the SendGrid and Segment acquisitions. He wrote Ask Your Developer (2021) about developer-led software.
John Wolthuis
John Wolthuis co-founded Twilio in 2008. He architected the initial telephony backend that allowed developers to send text messages and make phone calls using a simple web API.
Evan Cooke
Evan Cooke co-founded Twilio and served as its first CTO. He was instrumental in designing the company's highly reliable cloud architecture, ensuring the API could scale to handle massive, instantaneous spikes in SMS traffic (such as during Uber surges or Airb…
CEOs and their tenures
McDonald's
- 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - Don Thompson2012–2015
CEO
Rapid menu proliferation complicated kitchen operations and pushed drive-thru wait times to historical highs.
Source - 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 - 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
Twilio
- Jeff Lawson2008–2024
Co-founder and CEO
As the long-time CEO, he aggressively scaled the company into a $60 billion behemoth before intense pressure from activist investors forced him to resign in 2024 following growth stagnation.
Source - Aidan Viggiano2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, she strictly enforces the new profitability mandates, cutting massive amounts of real estate and software expenses across the enterprise.
Source - Khozema Shipchandler2024–present
Chief Executive Officer
Taking over as CEO in 2024, he shifted the company's focus away from unprofitable hyper-growth toward heavily optimizing the highly lucrative core communications platform.
Source
Timeline: McDonald's and Twilio side by side
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.
1948McDonald's
Speedee Service System Introduced
The brothers simplified operations in 1948 around 15-cent hamburgers, shakes, and fries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
2008Twilio
Company Founded
Jeff Lawson, Evan Cooke, and John Wolthuis founded Twilio and launched its first voice API for developers.
2010Twilio
SMS API Launched
Twilio added programmable SMS, which became its largest product line.
2015Twilio
Authy Acquired
Twilio acquired the two-factor authentication company Authy in 2015.
2016Twilio
NYSE IPO
Twilio listed on the NYSE under the ticker TWLO in June 2016, pricing shares at $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.
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.
2019Twilio
SendGrid Acquisition
Twilio completed its all-stock acquisition of email platform SendGrid, announced at about $2 billion.
2020Twilio
Segment Acquisition
Twilio acquired customer data platform Segment for about $3.2 billion, its largest deal.
2021Twilio
Revenue Passes $2.8 Billion
Twilio reported FY2021 revenue of $2.842 billion, up 61% year over year, with a net loss of $949.9 million.
2023Twilio
Restructuring
Twilio cut about 17% of its workforce in February 2023 and made further reductions later in the year as it shifted toward profitability.
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.
2024Twilio
CEO Transition
Co-founder Jeff Lawson stepped down as CEO in January 2024 and Khozema Shipchandler succeeded him.
2025McDonald's
$26.9B FY2025 Revenue
McDonald's reported $26.885 billion in FY2025 revenue and $8.563 billion in net income.
2025Twilio
First Full-Year GAAP Profit and Stytch Deal
Twilio reported FY2025 revenue of $5.067 billion and net income of $33.8 million, and completed its acquisition of identity platform Stytch on November 14, 2025.
2026Twilio
Growth Re-accelerates
Twilio reported Q2 2026 revenue of $1.50 billion, up 22%, and raised its 2026 revenue growth outlook to 18%-18.5%.
Acquisitions
McDonald's
- Dynamic Yield2019$300M
- Apprente2019Undisclosed
- Boston Market2000$173.5M
- Donatos Pizza1999Undisclosed
- Chipotle Mexican Grill stake1998Undisclosed
Questions about McDonald's vs Twilio
Who is the CEO of McDonald's Corporation and Twilio Inc.?
McDonald's Corporation is led by Chris Kempczinski and Twilio Inc. is led by Khozema Shipchandler. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was McDonald's Corporation founded vs Twilio Inc.?
McDonald's Corporation was founded in 1940 — 68 years before Twilio Inc., which was founded in 2008. McDonald's Corporation's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Twilio Inc..
How many employees does McDonald's Corporation have compared to Twilio Inc.?
McDonald's Corporation employs approximately 150,000 people, while Twilio Inc. employs approximately 5,492. McDonald's Corporation has the larger workforce at 150,000 employees, compared to Twilio Inc.'s 5,492. 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 Twilio Inc. headquartered?
Both McDonald's Corporation and Twilio Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded McDonald's Corporation and Twilio Inc.?
McDonald's Corporation was founded by Maurice James McDonald, Richard James McDonald, Ray Kroc. Twilio Inc. was founded by Jeff Lawson, John Wolthuis, Evan Cooke.
Which company has a longer operating history — McDonald's Corporation or Twilio Inc.?
McDonald's Corporation has been operating for approximately 86 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Twilio Inc. has been in operation for around 18 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 Twilio overview