Richard Montanez is an author and businessman who is well known for claiming to have invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. According to him, he and his wife, Judy, invented the spicy sensation right in their own kitchen, back when Richard was a factory worker at a Frito-Lay plant in Southern California.
Richard Montanez, who started his career at Frito-Lay as a factory janitor and subsequently became the company’s marketing director, claimed in the late 2000s that he created Flamin’ Hot Cheetos in the early 1990s. He also stated that he had submitted his idea to CEO Roger Enrico.
According to the Los Angeles Times in May 2021, Frito-Lay began an internal inquiry in 2018 when Greenfeld filed a complaint. The company said of the results of that investigation:
None of our records show that Richard [Montañez] was involved in any capacity in the Flamin’ Hot test market … we do not credit the creation of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or any Flamin’ Hot products to him.
However, according to a 1993 feature in U.S. News & World Report, Richard was responsible for recommending product ideas that built on the Flamin’ Hotline, including Flamin’ Hot Popcorn. Following the LA Times inquiry, he has stood by his claims, arguing that there was a lack of paperwork due to his low-level work at the time.
On deck, get to know more on Richard Montanez wiki facts including updates on his age, height, weight, married life with wife and kids, and his net worth details.
Richard Montanez Quick Facts
Richard Montanez in Net Worth 2023
Apparently, Richard Montanez’s net worth as of 2023 is estimated to be around $14.4 million based on all the salaries and profits made by him and his company. Richard Montanez is an author and businessman. He is most popularly known for inventing Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, a brand of cheese puff snack. After the new spicy Cheetos were a massive success, Richard quickly rose through the ranks of Frito-Lay. When he allegedly came up with the concept for the popular spicy snack, he worked as a plant janitor. However, he soon became a marketing director for the company,
He is also an author. His first book, A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie was published in 2013. Likewise, his other book titled, Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive was published on June 15, 2021. Richard retired in 2019, and it appears that he now earns the majority of his money from motivational speaking engagements and writing books.
Richard Montanez Wiki, Biography
Richard Montanez was born on 15 August 1958 and was raised in a California migrant labor camp. Sadly, he hasn’t said much about his parents or family. However, we do know that his parents are Mexican immigrants. He was brought up alongside his ten siblings. Richard dropped out of school and worked as a laborer until getting employed as a janitor for Frito-Lay, at its Rancho Cucamonga factory, in 1976 when he was 18 years old.
He is most known for creating the Flaming hotline of goods, which included Flaming Hot Cheetos. In addition, Richard influenced KFC and Taco Bell’s Hispanic goods and marketing initiatives. For your information, he was named one of the most important Hispanic’s in corporate America by Hispanic Lifestyle magazine, and he has been featured in News Week and Fortune 500 magazine.
Picture credit: variety.com
Richard has also served as vice president of multicultural sales & community promotions for PepsiCo. He is a leadership instructor and motivational speaker. Reportedly, he also runs the Onelite Foundation. Every year, Onelite feeds hundreds of thousands of families and sends millions of dollars’ worth of food across the country. In several metro areas, it also supplies new shoes for children throughout the back-to-school season.
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference ( SCLC ) Board of Directors elected Richard as the organization’s first Latino Board Member on December 6, 2015. The White House has invited him multiple times, notably for Pope Benedict XVI White House visit.
Richard is also an author. He has written books based on his life experiences: Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive, and A Boy, a Burrito, and a Cookie. Similarly, he is the subject of a planned biopic titled, Flamin’ Hot, directed by Eva Longoria.
Richard Montanez Age, Birthday, Zodic
Born in the year 1958, Richard Montanez age is 65 years old as of 2023. Richard celebrates his birthday every year on the 15th of August with his close friend and family. As per his birthdate, Richard zodiac sign is Leo.
Richard Montanez Height, Weight
According to a source, Richard Montanez stands tall at a height of 5 feet 9 inches and weighs around 75kg at the moment. Richard is a very keen man when it comes to fitness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But due to his work commitment and busy schedule, it looks like a tough job for Richard to follow a strict diet and workout regularly.
Is Richard Montanez Married, Who Is Richard Montanez Wife?
Richard Montanez is a married man, he is married to his wife Judy Montanez. We are clueless about how the couple first met or when they got married. However, we do know that they have been married for more than 37 years and currently live in Rancho Cucamonga.
According to sources, Judy was with Richard while he prepared for his presentation in front of Frito-Lay’s executives. Thus, they have known each other for a very long time. The pair has three sons and five grandchildren.
Picture credit: latimes.com
Richard Montanez Instagram
Richard Montanez runs his Instagram account under the name, @hotcheetosrpm. His account is verified with 78.4k followers. His Instagram bio reads:
☄️Creator of FLAMIN HOT CHEETOS speaking engagements & event bookings contact : Stevenmontanez31@gmail.comwww.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622527/flamin-hot-by-richard-p-montanez
