The Fast-Food Billionaires Quietly Influencing Global Investments

When people think of billionaires making major financial moves, names like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos often come to mind. However, behind the scenes, a different group of industry leaders—fast-food tycoons—have been quietly building investment empires. Families behind brands like Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, and Domino’s have leveraged their restaurant wealth to venture into sectors such as technology, healthcare, and real estate.

Recent analysis shows that over 100 family offices connected to fast food now control nearly $118 billion in assets. No longer just serving meals, these families are making strategic investments in private equity, fintech, real estate, and even insurance.

How Fast-Food Fortunes Are Expanding

Prominent fast-food families such as Andrew and Peggy Cherng of Panda Express, the Ilitch family behind Little Caesars, and the Cathy family of Chick-fil-A have successfully diversified their fortunes.

Andrew and Peggy Cherng, founders of Panda Express, have turned their success in the restaurant business into a thriving investment enterprise. Their firm, CFT Capital Partners, manages over $3 billion in assets. Over the years, they have acquired stakes in companies like Epic Games, Wella, and Whataburger. In August 2024, their family trust closed a $781 million investment fund, signaling further expansion.

Meanwhile, the Ilitch family, known for Little Caesars, has broadened their influence through North Lots Investments. Their ventures extend into real estate, private equity, and credit markets. Interestingly, they also operate an insurance company, Tenda, which originally served their employees before expanding to outside clients and family businesses.

Investment Strategies Beyond Fast Food

Other fast-food entrepreneurs have expanded into unexpected industries. Sandy Beall, who founded Ruby Tuesday before selling it in 1982, now operates Beall Investments. His firm funds restaurant chains and luxury resorts, with investments in &Pizza, Supergoop, and Seamore’s. Additionally, Beall has been acquiring and developing high-end vacation properties in Tennessee and North Carolina.

In the United Kingdom, former Domino’s Pizza U.K. franchise owner Lord Rumi Verjee has transitioned into finance and technology investments. His family’s firm, Addition Capital, focuses heavily on fintech, healthcare, and online education. In 2021, Addition Capital acquired and rebranded a vocational training provider into Academy+, and most recently, they expanded deeper into digital education publishing. Their investments also stretch into sports and luxury goods, including Waterford FC and Thomas Goode, a fine china brand.

Preserving Wealth for Future Generations

Perhaps the most methodical investment strategy comes from the Cathy family, the force behind Chick-fil-A. With an estimated $33.6 billion net worth, they oversee their wealth through a family office based within Chick-fil-A’s Atlanta headquarters. Beyond financial growth, they focus on multi-generational family governance.

A noteworthy aspect of their approach is hiring a dedicated family services lead, Beth Chapman, a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior. Her role ensures that future generations remain engaged with both the business and each other. The Cathy family fosters connections through book clubs, team-building exercises, and structured communication training.

A New Era of Fast-Food Financiers

What started as fast-food chains has evolved into something much larger. These families are using their vast capital not just to expand their businesses, but to establish themselves as key players in global investment. Their influence now reaches beyond burgers and pizza into industries like fintech, insurance, real estate, and education.

While tech billionaires dominate the headlines, these fast-food moguls are quietly shaping the future of finance, proving that success in one industry can be the foundation for an empire in another.