It happened in 1961—just a little under a year after brothers Tom and James Monaghan had purchased a pizza restaurant, DomiNick’s, for $500. After eight months of running the business as a partnership, James Monaghan decided to trade his stake to his brother for a used Volkswagen Beetle.
Fast-forward 38 years, and Tom Monaghan decided to retire and sell most of the company that was now known as Domino’s Pizza. He got a bit more than the price of a used Volkswagen Beetle, though: He sold 93 percent of the company for $1 billion. One can only imagine the awkwardness at the Monaghan family gatherings. “So, how’s that Beetle running?”
