John Schnatter
John Hampton "Papa John" Schnatter (born November 22 or 23, 1961) is an American entrepreneur who founded the Papa John's pizza restaurant chain in 1984. Schnatter started the business in the back of his father's tavern after selling his car and using the proceeds to purchase used restaurant equipment. As of 2017, his net worth was more than $1 billion.
John Schnatter | |
|---|---|
Schnatter at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2013 | |
| Born | John Hampton Schnatter November 22 or 23, 1961 (age 62) Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Other names | Papa John |
| Alma mater | Ball State University |
| Occupation(s) | Founder, former CEO, and Chairman of Papa John's Pizza |
| Years active | 1984–2018 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Annette Cox
(m. 1987; sep. 2019) |
| Children | 3 |
Schnatter stepped down as CEO on January 1, 2018, after controversy around his comments that the National Football League (NFL), who had a business affiliation with Papa John's, had not done enough to stop national anthem protests by NFL players, and that the protests had hurt his business. Before he stepped down, his comments had resulted in the NFL cancelling its association with Papa John's.
After stepping down as CEO, Schnatter remained chairman of the board of directors until July 2018, when it was revealed that, during an internal sensitivity-training May 2018 conference call, he claimed without evidence that Colonel Sanders had used the word "nigger" without backlash. Schnatter resigned when the comment became public, but has since maintained that the board conspired against him and unfairly forced him out of his position.