Michael James "Jim" Delligatti (August 2, 1918 – November 28, 2016) was an American entrepreneur, an early McDonald's franchisee, and the creator of the Big Mac.

Early life

Michael James Delligatti was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, on August 2, 1918, the son of a cobbler and candy maker. He was educated there and in Fairmont, West Virginia, before serving in Europe during World War II with the U.S. Army.

Career

Delligatti started as a McDonald's franchisee in the 1950s. His franchise was based in Uniontown, about 40 miles south of Pittsburgh, and grew to having 48 stores.

Delligatti thought up the concept for the Big Mac in 1965 and started serving it at his McDonald's in Uniontown in 1967 for 45 cents.

Interviewed by the Los Angeles Times in 1993, Delligatti agreed that a double-decker burger was not his original idea. "This wasn’t like discovering the lightbulb. The bulb was already there. All I did was screw it in the socket."

In 2007, Delligatti opened the Big Mac Museum, home to the "world's largest Big Mac", which is more than four meters across.

Personal life and death

Delligatti died on November 28, 2016, at his home in Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh, at age 98. He was survived by his wife, Ellie, two sons, five grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.