Dave Thomas

Founder of Wendy's (1932–2002)

Rex David Thomas (July 2, 1932 – January 8, 2002) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and fast-food tycoon who was the founder and chief executive officer of Wendy's, a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers. In this role, Thomas appeared in more than 800 commercial advertisements for the chain from 1989 to 2002, more than any other company founder in television history.²

From Wikipedia’s article on Dave Thomas (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Jul 2, 1932, died Jan 8, 2002.¹