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Mike Ilitch
Michael Ilitch Sr. (July 20, 1929 – February 10, 2017), also known as "Mr. I", was an American entrepreneur and restaurateur. He founded Little Caesars in 1959 and later owned two Detroit professional sports franchises: the Detroit Red Wings (1982–2017) of the National Hockey League and the Detroit Tigers (1992–2017) of Major League Baseball.
A second-generation American of Macedonian descent, Ilitch was also active in Detroit real-estate redevelopment, including the restoration of the Fox Theatre and the relocation of his corporate headquarters to that venue.
Ilitch was born in Detroit in 1929 to Macedonian immigrants Sotir and Sultana Ilitch. His father was a tool-and-die maker.
A graduate of Cooley High School in Detroit, Michigan, Ilitch served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years.
After returning to Detroit, Ilitch signed with the Detroit Tigers organization for a reported $3,000 and played four seasons (1952–1955) in the minors, primarily as a second baseman in the Tigers, New York Yankees, and Washington Senators systems. A knee injury ended his playing career.
After leaving baseball, Ilitch and his wife Marian founded the pizza company Little Caesars Pizza Treat in Garden City, Michigan in 1959. In 1999, the Ilitches established Ilitch Holdings, Inc. to provide their various enterprises with professional and technical services, and held the titles of chairman and vice chairwoman, respectively. The combined total revenues for these enterprises in 2007 reportedly exceeded $1.8 billion. Ilitch had fallen off Forbes magazine's annual list of the "400 Richest Americans", but in 2006 he returned to the list at No. 242. As of December 2016, he was No. 86 on the Forbes 400 and had an estimated net worth of $6.1 billion.
In 2000, Ilitch and his wife appointed two of their children as co-presidents of Ilitch Holdings, Inc.: Christopher Ilitch and daughter Denise Ilitch, an attorney. Christopher Ilitch was named to the new post of CEO and president. Denise Ilitch later left the company "to pursue other opportunities."
In an era of experimentation in sports leagues, the Detroit Wheels were a football team that played in the World Football League for the 1974 season. Ilitch was part of a 33-person consortium (including Motown singer Marvin Gaye) that funded the ill-fated WFL team which would not even last the inaugural season in the start-up league.
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Mike Ilitch
Michael Ilitch Sr. (July 20, 1929 – February 10, 2017), also known as "Mr. I", was an American entrepreneur and restaurateur. He founded Little Caesars in 1959 and later owned two Detroit professional sports franchises: the Detroit Red Wings (1982–2017) of the National Hockey League and the Detroit Tigers (1992–2017) of Major League Baseball.
A second-generation American of Macedonian descent, Ilitch was also active in Detroit real-estate redevelopment, including the restoration of the Fox Theatre and the relocation of his corporate headquarters to that venue.
Ilitch was born in Detroit in 1929 to Macedonian immigrants Sotir and Sultana Ilitch. His father was a tool-and-die maker.
A graduate of Cooley High School in Detroit, Michigan, Ilitch served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years.
After returning to Detroit, Ilitch signed with the Detroit Tigers organization for a reported $3,000 and played four seasons (1952–1955) in the minors, primarily as a second baseman in the Tigers, New York Yankees, and Washington Senators systems. A knee injury ended his playing career.
After leaving baseball, Ilitch and his wife Marian founded the pizza company Little Caesars Pizza Treat in Garden City, Michigan in 1959. In 1999, the Ilitches established Ilitch Holdings, Inc. to provide their various enterprises with professional and technical services, and held the titles of chairman and vice chairwoman, respectively. The combined total revenues for these enterprises in 2007 reportedly exceeded $1.8 billion. Ilitch had fallen off Forbes magazine's annual list of the "400 Richest Americans", but in 2006 he returned to the list at No. 242. As of December 2016, he was No. 86 on the Forbes 400 and had an estimated net worth of $6.1 billion.
In 2000, Ilitch and his wife appointed two of their children as co-presidents of Ilitch Holdings, Inc.: Christopher Ilitch and daughter Denise Ilitch, an attorney. Christopher Ilitch was named to the new post of CEO and president. Denise Ilitch later left the company "to pursue other opportunities."
In an era of experimentation in sports leagues, the Detroit Wheels were a football team that played in the World Football League for the 1974 season. Ilitch was part of a 33-person consortium (including Motown singer Marvin Gaye) that funded the ill-fated WFL team which would not even last the inaugural season in the start-up league.