World's richest cheesemonger is worth $3 billion

Updated
Pizza leftover in a box
Pizza leftover in a box

The name James Leprino might not ring a bell but the 79-year-old has amassed quite the fortune.

He's worth a whopping $3 billion!

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Leprino make cheese for Pizza Hut, Domino's and Papa John's... that's a lot of cheese.

In 1956, Leprino behan working full-time for his father's grocery shop in Denver, USA, selling cheese.

He took an interest in the pizza cheese market and in 1958, the Leprino cheese empire was launched with just $615.

In 1968, Pizza Hut was looking for a supplier that could cut costs while standardising portions.

Leprino's frozen, presliced blocks allowed chefs to cheese-up their recipes more easily.

This innovation put Leprino foods on the map!

Now, at a billion pounds of cheese a year Leprino Foods makes $3 billion in revenue and since his company has had as much as 85% of the market, Leprino was able to invest in technology that no other business could.

He has more than 50 patents and an estimated 7% net margin.

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