Richard Montañez

Inventor

Birthplace Ontario, CA

#19486 Most Popular

About

Entrepreneur and inventor known as the "Godfather of Latino Marketing." He became famous for becoming one of PepsiCo's vice presidents after inventing the Flamin' Hot brand of snacks, including nationwide favorites such as Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Hot Doritos, and Lime and Chile Fritos. Also a revered motivational speaker, he authored the book, "Flamin' Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man's Rise from Janitor to Top Executive."

Before Fame

He was hired at Frito Lay in 1976 to work as a janitor. He was awarded for outstanding work ethic a few years later, and in 1992, he launched the Flamin' Hot brand.

Trivia

Throughout his 42-year career with PepsiCo, he was awarded with 3 Chairman's Awards and the Performance with Purpose Award. His entrepreneurial and inventor fame has helped him amass over 100,000 followers on Instagram. 

Family Life

He is married to Judy Montañez. He has a granddaughter named Lexi, who appeared in a photo with his 2 great-grandchildren on his hotcheetosrpm Instagram account. On June 16, 2023, he shared a photo on his Instagram with his late father.

Associated With

The Hulu original drama film Flamin' Hot, based off of his story, stars actors Jesse GarciaTony Shalhoub, and Dennis Haysbert.