| Real Name: | Jane Dobbins Green |
| Birthday: | N/A |
| Net Worth: | N/A |
| Height: | N/A |
| Occupation: | Ex-wife of Ray Kroc |
The definition of celebrity is someone who is famous in the areas of entertainment, including films, music, sport, or writing. But sometimes, people are called celebrities because of their loved ones. Or former spouses. One such celebrity is Jane Dobbins Green, the former wife of Ray Kroc.
When it comes to her husband, it is a name you have probably heard many times before. Associated with the American fast food chain McDonald’s, Kroc remains one of the greatest businessmen of all time.
Today, we will not talk about the story of how he turned a small fast-food business into a global franchise. Instead, we will talk about his former wife Jane Dobbins Green. Where is she now? How she and Kroc met? How long their marriage lasted?
She gained popularity in the 60s thanks to her connection to Ray. But let’s go step by step.
Story Stages
Who Was Her Husband Ray Kroc?
Before we talk more about his wife, let’s shortly revisit his story. Born in October 1902 in Oak Park, Illinois, Chicago, he is one of the greatest businessmen in history. He was born to Czech and American parents, Rose Mary and Alois Louis Kroc.
Here is a fun fact: he lied about his age during World War I and became a Red Cross ambulance driver at the age of 15. More fun facts, he drove alongside Walt Disney.
Raymond Albert Kroc became a salesman for Prince Castle, a manufacturer of milkshakes following World War II. In 1961, he bought Mcdonald’s franchise, and the rest is history. He became the Chairman of the Board, a position he held until 1977.
When he finalized the deal with the McDonald brothers, Raymond Kroc wrote to Walt Disney, his friend who he met as an ambulance attendant trainee. He wrote, “I have very recently taken over the national franchise of the McDonald’s system. I would like to inquire if there may be an opportunity for a McDonald’s in your Disney Development”.
Disney agreed but asked to increase the price of fries and get the profit, to which Kroc refused. His policy for the fast food restaurant included establishing locations only in suburban areas. His restaurants were not allowed to build in downtown and urban areas. The logic was more impoverished residents might break in and enter after the main business hours were over.
Raymond Albert Kroc wanted proper sanitization at all times, clean staff, properly groomed staff, and being polite with children. The food followed a strictly fixed, standardized content, and there was no way to deviate from specifications.
By the time he passed away, his restaurant chain had 7,500 outlets in the United States and in 31 other countries. The total system-wide sales were estimated at $8 billion in 1983, and his personal fortune at $600 million.
His restaurant served as an inspiration for many more fast-food chains. They all tried to follow the McDonald’s model.
Some of them included Burger King, KFC, Hardee’s, Burger Chef, Arby’s, and more. But none of them reached the popularity of McDonald’s.
How Much Did Ray Kroc Buy McDonalds For?
Here is a fun fact. Ray bought McDonald’s for $2.7 million. He wanted sole control of the fast food restaurant. Ray was frustrated because he thought the deal included the original Mcdonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, but the brothers said it did not. He paid the sum in cash.
As of November 2022, the market capitalization and net worth of McDonald’s corporation are $201 billion.
Is Jane Dobbins Green Alive?
Now back to the former wife of Ray Kroc. One of the most asked questions about Jane is whether she is still alive.
Following her divorce from Ray Kroc, she didn’t make any public appearances.
She might have been a Hollywood socialite, but she never indulged herself in being a public figure. In fact, she wants to keep things to herself.
It is a mystery whether she is alive in 2022.
Early Life
Jane Green was born in the United States, but her exact birth date is a mystery. There is not much information about her parents and childhood life.
We know she is of American nationality and belongs to the white ethnicity. There is also not much information about her career and early childhood life.
What we can assume judging by her timeline with Ray, is that in 2022, she should be in her 80s or 90s.
Regarding her career, there is no info on any job positions. She became popular because of her relationship with her husband Ray Kroc.
Jane was the second wife of the popular businessman, and they do not have any children.
Marriage to Ray Kroc
Jane Dobbins and Ray Kroc got married in 1963. She was his second wife, and the couple married when his fame was already at its peak.
According to most reports, he was her first husband. Ray was married previously to Ethel Fleming for nearly four decades.
At the time of their marriage, Jane probably thought they would be married for a long time as well. Yet, things didn’t go as planned.
Their marriage lasted for only five years. It ended in 1968 due to infidelity and an affair with what would become Ray’s third and final wife.
According to the story, Ray and his third wife Joan Beverly Kroc had an affair even when he was married to his first wife, in 1957. He was stunned by her beauty and blonde hair.
But at the time they met for the first time, she was married and had a young daughter. So, they didn’t advance their relationship.
Eventually, Ray got married to Jane. But in 1968, Jane was left devastated when Ray invited his former mistress, probably current mistress at the time, Joan Kroc to a McDonald’s convention. Their marriage ended six months later.
Jane and Ray didn’t have any children. Following their divorce, Ray and Joan started dating again, and both ditched their spouses to get married eventually.
Joan’s husband, businessman Ray Kroc died in January 1984 in San Diego, California. He was 81 at the time of his death.
He suffered a stroke three years before and died of heart failure.
Net Worth
How much is the net worth of Jane Dobbins Green? Did she inherit any of her former’s husband wealth? At the time of his death, Ray had a net worth of $600 million, which would be $1.4 billion after the inflation adjustment.
But his then-wife Joan Kroc inherited his fortune. She donated all of his money, as she got involved in philanthropy and charity work. Yet, somehow, Joan managed to increase her net worth to $2.7 billion at the time of her death in 2003.
Following her demise, the fortune was distributed to several non-profit organizations. For example, $1.5 billion was donated to The Salvation Army.
As for Jane, she didn’t inherit any of Kroc’s money. Her net worth remains a mystery, the same as her life status in 2022.
