7 Most Brilliant Franchise Founders

Conrad Hilton -- Hilton Hotels

Conrad Hilton didn’t want to be in the lodging industry when he bought his first hotel in Cisco, Texas in 1919.  His initial plan was to grow into an oil baron, but his first deal of investing in a bank in an oil town did not work out well.  After this plan fell apart, Hilton centered on real estate and ended up buying hotels all across Texas.  He lost number hotels during the depression and almost had to file for bankruptcy.

After the economy turned, the hotelier’s business was back with a bang.  He soon owned luxurious hotels like the Waldorf Astoria and the Plaza Hotel and went on to accept honorary degrees from six different universities.  His autobiography ‘Be My Guest’ appeared next to the bible in every single room of the Hilton Hotel chain.