Ray Kroc is the name we can never forget when we talk about the American fast-food chain, McDonald’s. Well, even after decades since the passing of Kroc, he is considered one of the greatest businessmen of all time. The story of him turning a small fast-food business into a global franchise has been inspirational to many startups as well as established businesspersons.
Well, besides his professional successes, there are several things to know about his personal life. And one of those is his marriage to Jane Dobbins Green. Their short-lived marriage gained immense popularity in the ’60s due to Ray’s infamous affair. So, let’s try to find out more about Jane Dobbins Green in this article.
Let’s also dig out how her marriage to Ray Kroc ended.
Is Jane Dobbins Green Alive?
It is one of the most asked questions about Jane Green. Well, since her divorce from the late Ray Kroc, she didn’t make her public appearance for long.
In fact, in spite of being a Hollywood socialite, she didn’t ever indulge in being a public figure. When it comes to the question if Jane is alive in 2022, it’s still a mystery.
Dobbins was Married to Ray for Five Years
Jane Dobbins got married to Ray Kroc as his second wife in 1963. The couple married when Ray’s fame had grown exponentially due to his success at McDonald’s. They remained married for five years before they divorced in 1969.
Jane didn’t share any children with her then-husband.
Ray’s Infamous Affair Ended Their Marriage?
Ray Kroc, the notorious business tycoon was married to his first wife, Ethel Fleming for nearly four decades when he saw his third wife, Joan Kroc for the first time. Joan was a philanthropist who donated most of Ray’s fortune following his death. Ray was 52 while Joan was 28 at the time of their first meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1957.
Meanwhile, Joan was also married to a man named Rollie Smith and had an 11-year-old daughter, Linda at the time. Ray was smitten by Joan’s blonde beauty. They reportedly started having an extra-marital affair in 1961 when Ray divorced his first wife Ethel ending his 39-year-long marriage to her.
After his divorce, Ray asked Joan to move in with him, however, she under pressure from her family broke off their relationship instead. After that, Ray married his second wife Jane Green. But their marriage hit the rock after the McDonald’s chairman invited Joan to a 1969 McDonald’s convention.
After the incident, Ray and Joan started dating again. This time, they both ditched their spouses and got married eventually.
Is Jane Dobbins Green an Author?
No, Jane is not an author. By far, the only thing known about her is she was a Hollywood socialite. Besides, she is often mistaken for an English-born American author Jane Green. Many online tabloids have mentioned Jane Dobbins as an author which is not true.
Jane Green is 54 years old as of 2022 and is an international bestselling writer. Some of her books are Bookends (2002), Straight Talking: A Novel, and Spellbound (UK)/To Have and To Hold(US).
Her Ex-Husband Died at 81
Jane Dobbins Green’s ex-husband, Ray Kroc died on January 14, 1984, in San Diego, California. He was 81 at the time of his death. According to the reports, Ray died of heart failure.
Kroc had suffered a stroke three years prior to his death after which he entered an alcohol rehabilitation facility. He survived for three years but later passed away. Ray was buried at El Camino Memorial Park in Sorrento Valley, San Diego.
At the time of his death, Ray was survived by his third wife Joan, brother Dr. Eobert Kroc, a sister Lorraine Groh, a stepdaughter, and four granddaughters.
What was Jane Dobbins Geen’s Ex-husband’s Net Worth?
Various online sources report that Jane’s ex-husband was worth a staggering $600 million at the time of his death which is approximately $1.4 billion after the inflation adjustment. After his death in 1984, his then-wife Joan inherited his fortune.
Following his demise, Joan was heavily involved in philanthropy and charity work. She diversified her charity works to several fields of interest such as the promotion of peace and nuclear nonproliferation. Joan’s net worth increased exponentially afterward which at the time of her death in 2003 was estimated at $2.7 billion.
After her death, her fortune was distributed to a number of non-profit organizations. A whopping $1.5 billion was donated to The Salvation Army to build 26 Kroc Centers. Similarly, a $200 million donation was made to National Public Radio.
Know more about Jane’s ex Ray Kroc
Ray was born Raymond Albert Kroc on October 5, 1902, in Oak Park, Illinois. He was born to his mother Rose Mary Hrach and his father Alois “Louis” Kroc. Many of you might not know, Ray lied about his age to become a Red Cross ambulance driver during World War I.
After the war ended, he started doing various jobs, including selling paper cups, and later also worked as a real estate agent in Florida. After World War II, Kroc started working as a milkshake mixer salesman for Prince Castle.
In 1955, he opened the first franchise of McDonald’s in Des Plaines, Illinois under his partnership with the McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice. And as they say, the rest is history.
After retiring from McDonald’s, Ray owned a baseball club San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball.
