McDonald’s first franchisee in Auckland, New Zealand, made his fortune out of the business, people queued up for Cheeseburgers and bands played. The franchisee bought other franchises and made his fortune.
Buying a McDonald’s franchise isn’t quite so lucrative today. I’m reliably told (by a McDonald’s franchisee) that you need four or five franchise units now to make decent money. Given that they will set you back well above $1 million each, that’s a pretty hefty investment.