Colonel Sanders: an Active Role in KFC Until the End

Summary

Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder and iconic face of Kentucky Fried Chicken, remained actively involved with the brand until virtually the end of his life at age 90 in December 1980. After selling the KFC company in 1964 for $2 million, Sanders continued as the brand's global ambassador, traveling an estimated 200,000 miles per year to visit franchises, film commercials, and ensure quality standards were being upheld.

Sanders was famously uncompromising about his original recipe and standards, and would not hesitate to publicly condemn food he found substandard, reportedly denouncing disappointing meals during surprise restaurant visits as late as 1979. By the time of his death, KFC had grown to approximately 6,000 outlets across 48 countries with $2 billion in annual sales, a testament to the brand equity he built and personally embodied throughout his life.