Who is Colonel Harland Sanders, who came back from the brink of suicide and founded KFC?

He is an American entrepreneur who is the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC for short, which was founded in 1952. In an other saying; It is the figure of Uncle Tonton with a goatee and glasses that we see in the company's logo.

Colonel Harland David Sanders, founder of KFC, was born on September 9, 1890 in Indiana. Having lost his father at the age of 5, the entrepreneur has to take responsibility for his younger siblings when his mother gets a job to earn money. Although he is only a 5-year-old child, he meets all kinds of needs such as buying gold for his siblings and feeding them. And at the same time, he actually lays the foundations of his future work. Because out of necessity, he will reveal his talent in cooking.

The little boy, who started his business life at the age of 10, works in any job he can find. Meanwhile, his mother gets married and Sanders, who can't stand his stepfather's cruelty any longer, runs away from home. He joins the US Army by changing the date of birth on his ID.

Sanders, who left the army at the age of 18 and married Josephine King, worked as a train conductor until the age of 22. They have 3 children from this marriage, but their only son, Harland, does not live long. After he is fired from his job, his wife leaves him, taking his 2 daughters with him.

In fact, Sanders will respond to his wife, who left him because he was unemployed, by creating a world brand. Not just for his wife. He will also make his wife's brother regret his words, who thinks that he is a worthless man who can't do anything.

Despite working in many different jobs over the years, Harland Sanders's efforts to study law remain inconclusive. Despite the fact that he was 40 years old, the American, who was in despair because of not being able to stick to an ax, even thought of committing suicide for a while. But later, remembering his talent in cooking, he decides to open a shop for himself.

He buys a gas station, motel, and cafe in the city of Corbin, 40 km from the Tennessee state line. Sanders' delicious menus, which also serve food to customers who come to buy gas, spread throughout the state in a short time. He was even given the rank of Kentucky Colonel for his contributions to the state cuisine. When he realized that his special sauce, which is prepared with various spices and is generally used in chicken dishes, is very popular, he develops his recipe. Opening a motel across the road in order to better serve customers, the entrepreneur divorced his estranged wife in 1947 and married his secretary, Claudia Ledington.

Although Harland Sanders, who was given the title of colonel for the second time in 1949, puts things right, he will pass another big test. Because the road where the facility, which is one of the most popular destinations of the country with its fried chickens, is located, becomes unusable due to the new highway. The number of customers decreases day by day, and Sanders finally has to sell everything to pay off his accumulated debts. He is now an old man who has reached the age of 66 and is once again penniless.

The only thing left in the hands of the entrepreneur who does not give up despite losing all his wealth is his pension. Thinking for a while, the man then starts knocking on the doors of all the restaurants of the country with the recipe in his hand. Sanders, who is sleeping in his car, tries to sell his recipe, but no restaurant is interested in him. It is even rumored that the American old man finds a place to accept his offer after being turned away from 1008 restaurants.

Sanders' delicious recipe, which is paid per product, is still very popular. And in a short time, hundreds of restaurants line up for its recipe. After Kentucky Fried Chicken became a legend, Sanders sells the company to investor John Y. Brown Jr. for $2 million. He will also be paid $250,000 each year to remain the official face of KFC. You will understand; After the age of 60, he lives in abundance until the end of his life.

Sanders, who lived to the age of 90, spent the last years of his life in peace and happiness. His company was sold to PepsiCo in 1986 and then to "Yum! Brands" in 2002.