Richard Montañez is a writer, businessman and speaker. He is best known for claiming to be the inventor of the popular Frito Lay product called Flamin' Hot Cheetos. As of 2021, Richard Montañez's net worth is estimated to be around $10 million.
| Full Name | Richard Montañez |
| Birth Date | N/A |
| Birth Place | Mexico |
| Profession | Author, Businessman, Speaker |
| Relationship Status | Married |
| Net Worth | $10 million |
Early Life
Richard was born to Mexican immigrants and grew up in California with his 10 siblings. His whole family lived in a one-bedroom apartment. One of his famous phrases is: “I have a doctorate. to be poor, hungry and determined. This helps explain Richard’s origins and how he affected his life.
Since childhood he has had an entrepreneurial streak. When he was in third grade, his mother made him a burrito for lunch, but she was too embarrassed to eat it because burritos weren’t very popular at the time. So his mother made him two burritos so he could eat one and give one away so he could find a friend. He then started selling these burritos for $0.25 each when he was just 7 years old.
Net worth and career of Richard Montanez
He eventually dropped out of school and began working as a factory worker as a teenager. He worked as a butcher, car wash, and gardener. When he was 18, a friend told him that Frito was hiring Lay and that he would apply. Since he could barely read and write, he asked his girlfriend to write a statement for him.
Richard got a job and started working as a janitor. Even as a janitor, he mentions in his memoir how he decided to become a better janitor. He was able to rise from the stables to riches after presenting the CEO with his idea for a spicy potato chip better suited to the Latin American market.
The product, to be called Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, has since generated billions of dollars in sales and become a hit. In his role, Richard served as Vice President of Multicultural Sales and Community Empowerment at Pepsi. He has written two books: Boy, Burrito and Cookie: From Janitor to Executive and Hot Flames: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Executive.
Personal Life
Richard is married to his wife Judy and they have been together for over 37 years. They live in Rancho Cucamonga and have three children and five grandchildren.
richard montanez net worth
As of 2021, Richard Montañez’s personal fortune is estimated to be around $10 million. Before retiring in 2019, Richard was a senior executive at Frito Lay, where he earned a good income from stock options. This was the source of much of his net worth. Today, he made a profitable career as a motivational speaker for organizations, charging between $10,000 and $50,000 to speak.
