A strong work ethic and intense desire to make something of his life, led Tom Monaghan (born 1937) from the orphanages of Michigan to the creation of the second-largest pizza chain in the world. His business grew from a single $500 store in Ypsilanti, Michigan, to over 6,100 franchised and company-owned stores in 64 countries, with revenue of over one billion dollars.

Until 1998, when he sold Domino's Pizza to Bain Capital for a billion dollars, Thomas S. Monaghan was known as the driving force that built the world's second-largest pizza company, behind Pizza Hut Inc. Monaghan was an innovator in the pizza industry and set the standards for other companies. He developed dough trays, the corrugated pizza box, insulated bags to transport pizzas, the pizza screen, a conveyor oven and a unique franchise system enabling managers and supervisors to become franchisees. He was also a flamboyant spender, who bought and sold the...