Cheese Billionaire
- The Mary Word
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
By Ainsley Benbow
Who could’ve known that simply cheese could make someone so rich, a net worth of $3.1 billion (Forbes 2017) to be precise… because I certainly didn’t. A few weeks ago my New York Times obsessed mom came into my room telling me about an article she read in, of course, the NY Times, about this man who had recently died a billionaire from his work in the cheese industry. I was absolutely shocked because out of all the jobs in the world like actors, CEO’s and entrepreneurs, building a cheese empire had slipped my mind.
Born in 1937, James Leprino transformed his small family-owned grocery business into an international cheese production. With headquarters still located in the same neighborhood, West Highlands of Denver, Leprino’s company, Leprino Foods, is the world’s largest producer of mozzarella cheese.
Mozzarella cheese is “undoubtedly [considered] the most popular cheese for pizza” (11 inch pizza) for its’ ability to melt into a gooey, stretchy layer on pizza however, for low-moisture mozzarella, the type for pizzas, usually takes between two to four weeks (minimum) to age. This allows the cheese to mature in a controlled environment, often called a “cheese cave,” developing its individual flavour, a better texture and aroma, for baking and cooking. Leprino’s company “reinvented the process of making mozzarella” (NY Times) by reducing this aging process to just 4 hours!. They achieved this through heavy research and trials to adopt quick-freezing methods and preservative mist, ensuring that mozzarella's richness and stretchiness is maintained, greatly desired for the perfect slice and pizza.
Through this, cheese became adaptable for frozen pizzas and being able to be baked on pizzas without having to wait as long or risk burning. This innovation not only revolutionised the frozen food industry but also transformed pizza into a mass-market, convenient meal that could be consistently produced worldwide.
Leprino Food Company now has contracts with many of the best known pizza companies such as dominos and is the leader in production of dairy ingredients worldwide. From working with his Italian immigrant father’s business, he has transformed it into an empire, now controlling up to 85% of the US pizza cheese market.
Now listed as the 264th richest person in the US, he was the most successful cheese entrepreneur and “had a profound influence on countless lives”, as recounted from the company’s statement surrounding his death on June 19, 2025, aged 87. His efforts and empire will forever impact our modern world, being known as the ‘Willy Wonka of Cheese,’ revolutionising mozzarella cheese and the industry of frozen food eternally. A role model for all cheese lovers and an innovator whose legacy reminds us that even the simplest foods can spark global transformation and a billion dollar empire.
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