“We value Richard’s many contributions to our company, especially his insights into Hispanic consumers, but we do not credit the creation of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or any Flamin’ Hot products to him,” Frito-Lay said in a statement. The newspaper noted that Enrico didn’t join the company until early 1991, nearly six months after the Flamin’ Hot products were already invented. The article also disputed Montañez’s claim that he was partially inspired to pitch his product by a motivational video featuring Frito-Lay CEO Roger Enrico. Frito-Lay officials said they could find no proof that the pitch meeting described in Montañez’s memoir ever happened. “It is disappointing that 20 years later, someone who played no role in this project would begin to claim our experience as his own and then personally profit from it,” Greenfeld told the Los Angeles Times.įrito-Lay interviewed dozens of employees and reviewed company records as part of its investigation, According to an investigative story released by the Times in May 2021, the company concluded that “none of our records show that Richard was involved in any capacity in the Flamin’ Hot test market.”Īccording to the Los Angeles Times, Flamin’ Hots were created by a team of snack food professionals based in the company’s corporate headquarters in Texas, rather than the California plant where Montañez worked. Also a Frito-Lay employee, Greenfeld received the assignment to develop the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos brand in 1989, and the company previously credited her for naming and helping bring the product to market. A Dispute to Montañez’s StoryĪt the prompting of Lynne Greenfeld, Montañez’s public claims triggered a company-wide investigation of his claims in 2018. He began publicly claiming credit for having invented the brand in the late 2000s, selling his story and participating in speaking engagements for fees of up to $50,000 per appearance. In his memoir, Montañez describes donning a $3 tie and pitching his idea during a 1991 meeting with more than 100 people, including the CEO and several company executives.įlamin’ Hot Cheetos became a billion-dollar brand, and Montañez rose from janitor to marketing executive at Frito-Lay, from which he retired in 2019. Montañez then claims to have pitched the product to the Frito-Lay CEO through the company’s “method-improvement program,” which sought new ideas from employees. He claims to have brought the batch home and seasoned them with chili powder, creating a snack inspired by street vendors in his neighborhood who made Mexican grilled corn with lime and chili. Because when you’ve been poor, there’s so much innovation that comes out of that.”Īfter getting a janitorial job at the Frito-Lay plant in Southern California, Montañez said a Cheeto machine broke down, resulting in a batch that wasn’t dusted with flavoring. “I think when you’ve experienced those three things, there’s a lot of wisdom. “I have a PhD: I’ve been being poor, hungry, and determined,” he told The Washington Post. He got into gang trouble in his youth, according to his memoir, and credits those early challenges with helping shape his character. The son of a Mexican immigrant, Montañez grew up in a migrant labor camp in Southern California with 10 siblings living in a one-bedroom apartment. Richard Montañez and his wife, Judy, attend the premiere of Flamin’ Hot during the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals in March.
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