Colonel Harland Sanders sold Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1964 for $2 million, thinking it was a fair deal. He kept a $40,000 yearly salary, the title of brand ambassador, and the right to be the face of KFC. At the time, KFC had around 600 locations. But just seven years later, new investors sold the company again for $285 million. By then, the brand had ballooned to more than 3,500 restaurants, and Sanders felt pushed aside. He grew frustrated with how his recipes were being changed to cut costs. He famously called the revamped gravy “wallpaper paste.” Feeling betrayed, Sanders sued the new owners for $122 million. The lawsuit settled for about $1 million and allowed him to continue training cooks to uphold quality. Today, KFC has exploded into a global giant with over 30,000 restaurants in 145 countries. In 2024 alone, it opened nearly 2,700 new locations. Its parent company, Yum! Brands, plans to keep growing, with a major expansion push in the U.K. and a move of U.S. headquarters from Kentucky to Texas. Though Sanders passed away in 1980, his image and original recipe live on. The colonel's vision helped create one of the most iconic fast-food empires in the world.