How a Mexican Janitor Invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos And Became A Vice President Of The Company

   Richard Montañez was born in Mexico and grew up in Guasti, a small town close to Ontario, California.

    Richard had trouble learning English and he dropped out of high school because he couldn't understand the teachers. Without a high school diploma, he got a job as a janitor at the Frito-Lay Rancho Cucamonga plant in California.

    One day, a machine broke in the assembly line, causing some Cheetos to not get dusted with the bright orange cheese powder, so Richard took some home and put chili powder on them. He created his own recipe for a spicier version of Cheetos that was inspired by a Mexican street snack called elote (corncob).

Richard told him that he had an idea for a new product and The company executives loved his idea and the Flamin' hot line of products was born including Flamin' Hot Cheetos, which is Frito-Lay's top selling snack. Today, Richard is the executive vice president of multicultural sales and community activation for PepsiCo's North American divisions. He also helped influence Hispanic products and marketing promotions for KFC and Taco Bell.

source: inc