As one of the most talked-about figures, Papa John Schnatter has built a significant fortune. Our team analyzed the latest data to provide a clear picture of their income.
What is John Schnatter's net worth?
"Papa" John Schnatter is an American pizza entrepreneur and television personality who has a net worth of $400 million. John Schnatter is famous for being the founder, former chairman, and former CEO of Papa Johns International Inc, a pizza delivery business. Schnatter became a national celebrity thanks to his appearance in many national commercials which always end with the signature slogan "Better Ingredients. Better Pizza. Papa Johns." He was forced out of the company in 2018 and sold his entire stake over a series of stock sales in 2019, netting around $500 million in cash, pre-tax, pre-divorce.
Having spent his college years earning money as a pizza delivery driver, John was convinced that Mick's Tavern should also be in the pizza business.
Papa John's went public in 1993. At the IPO John owned around 30% of the company's shares. At the IPO he became a multi-millionaire overnight. Within a few decades his stake would earn him hundreds of millions of dollars and even, very briefly, paper billionaire status.
He converted a broom closet in the back of Mick's Tavern into a pizza-making room and over time took over the entire restaurant. He also eventually changed the name of the restaurant to Papa John's.
(Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)
John Schnatter was born on November 23, 1958 in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He graduated from Jeffersonville High School then went on to earn a degree in business from Ball State University. After graduating from college, John returned to Jeffersonville where his father co-owned a restaurant called Mick's Tavern.
In 1984, John Schnatter sold his car, a 1971 Camaro Z28, to give him enough money to buy out the father's partner and invest $1,600 in pizza equipment. Decades later he tracked down the very same Camaro and re-acquired it for $250,000.
As of this writing, Papa John's has more than 5,300 locations, 16,000 employees and $1.5 billion in annual revenue. Schnatter would later describe his business as a "17-year overnight success story". He has received many awards including being inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2007, named National Ernst & Young Retail/Consumer Entrepreneur of the Year in 1998, and being inducted into the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 2010.
In summary, the total wealth of Papa John Schnatter reflects strategic moves.
Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.
